It doesn’t matter what sport you love, we’ve got it covered. This year we celebrated our Olympic hopefuls, some up-and-comers, and dived into new and exciting sports – check them out.
16. Wollongong’s mixed ultimate frisbee team claims national title
by Keeli Dyson
Wollongong Krank has won the Australian Mixed Ultimate Championship in Queensland. Photo: Michelle Lim / Kreatif Minds Studio.
An ultimate frisbee team from the Illawarra has dominated the top division at the Australian Ultimate Mixed Championships with their perseverance, positive attitude and team connection seeing them beat the best in the country to claim gold.
The Wollongong Krank ultimate frisbee team has been working its way up the ladder for the past decade and now can finally call themselves national champions.
15. Woonona’s Chris Mercer shares his marathon commitment to surfboat rowing
by Zoe Cartwright
Fifty years after he rowed in the first ever George Bass Surfboat Marathon, life member of Bulli Surf Life Saving Club Chris Mercer rang in the new year rowing the Bass again. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
Woonona’s Chris Mercer took part in one of the greatest physical tests in Australia to ring in the new year in 2025 – the George Bass Surfboat Marathon.
Not bad for a bloke who’s just cracked his 70s.
14. Kiama photographer snaps up indoor rowing medals in world-class efforts
by Zoe Cartwright
The moment Kiama rower Nardia Guillarmier and her coach Alan Swan knew she’d hit a PB in the 2000m World Indoor Rowing Championships. Photo: Nardia Guillarmier.
Kiama’s Nardia Guillaumier didn’t expect to become a world champion athlete in her 40s, but now she’s the proud holder of gold and bronze medals from the World Indoor Rowing Championships.
After five years of hard work, Nardia was up at 3 o’clock two mornings in February to have a crack at the top spot in the 45-49 Women’s Heavyweight 2000 m and the 45-49 Women’s Heavyweight 500 m.
13. How footgolf helped Jamberoo Golf Club stay on course for success
by Kellie O’Brien
Footgolf Jamberoo has continued to increase in popularity. Photo: Jamberoo Golf Club.
Jamberoo Golf Club found a game-changing solution to attract new players and generate revenue eight years ago by embracing footgolf – a hybrid sport combining golf and soccer.
Now, the club offers a popular nine-hole footgolf course that coexists as part of its traditional 18-hole golf layout. Footgolf has become a hit with Illawarra families, corporate groups and professional players around Australia and the world.
12. Illawarra gymnastics clubs claim NSW Country Championship crowns
by Keeli Dyson
Younger gymnasts from Northern Gymnastics Academy with the championship trophy. Photos: Northern Gymnastics Academy.
Illawarra gymnasts showcased their skills, dedication and creativity at the NSW Country Championships, with two local clubs crowned champions of their disciplines.
More than 1000 gymnasts from 37 clubs competed across seven gymnastic styles in front of crowds of hundreds, with the future of the sport on full display with emerging and established athletes vying for medals.
11. Three Wollongong athletes ‘feel the rhythm’ as they chase the Olympic bobsled dream
by Kellie O’Brien
Australian bobsled team members with ties to Wollongong are (l-r) Adam Schuback, Rhys Peters and Ben Forst. Photo: Supplied.
From the sun-soaked footy fields of Wollongong to frozen international bobsleigh tracks in North America, three Illawarra athletes are chasing their own Cool Runnings dream as they race towards a shot at the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.
10. Wollongong’s mountain bike trails shift into gear with stage one finally open
by Kellie O’Brien
Part of the new Kembla Mountain Bike Trails. Photo: NSW Government.
After a bumpy ride to the finish line, stage one of the $13.4 million Illawarra Escarpment Mountain Bike Network officially opened – giving riders 20 kilometres of purpose-built trails to gear up on.
Part of a planned 70 km network, it’s an initiative by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Wollongong City Council, in collaboration with the community.
9. Warilla-Lake South Gorillas kick off new era at upgraded Cec Glenholmes Oval
by Kellie O’Brien
Shae Fitzgerald of Warilla-Lake South Rugby League Club practises her kicking in front of the new clubhouse. Photos: Shellharbour City Council.
Warilla-Lake South Gorillas have scored big with the $2.7 million upgrade of the Cec Glenholmes Oval at Lake Illawarra ahead of their upcoming rugby league season launch.
Jointly funded by Shellharbour City Council and the NSW Government, the long overdue project delivers modern, accessible and sustainable infrastructure designed to benefit not only the Gorillas, but residents, other sports clubs, and visitors.
8. 17-year-old roller derby star skates from Wollongong to world stage
by Keeli Dyson
Pepper Howard, aka Guns N Rollers, will represent Australia at the Junior Roller Derby World Cup in Brisbane. Photo: Supplied.
Teen derby star Guns N Rollers is set to put on the green and gold after skating her way into Australia’s junior team at this year’s world cup.
Pepper Howard, better known in the derby community as Guns N Rollers, started roller derby when she was 10.
7. Oak Flats Sailing Club keeps Illawarra tradition afloat after 75 years
by Kellie O’Brien
Oak Flats Sailing Club in 1988. Photo: Shellharbour City Council.
On the southern shores of Lake Illawarra, a small but enduring sailing club is keeping a 75-year tradition afloat.
Oak Flats Sailing Club, which first set sail in 1949, proves that community spirit, once built brick by brick along the lakeside, can weather any storm.
6. Behind our junior clubs is a local powerhouse pushing for Illawarra’s sporting success
by Dione David
Wests Illawarra’s support has seen an increase in participation from female players like Abbie Caldow of the Wests Devils Junior Rugby League Club. Photos: Wests Illawarra.
Most weekends, Sid Parrish Park in Figtree hums with the sounds of community: the thud of boots on turf, the cheer of parents on the sidelines and the unmistakable spirit of junior rugby league. At the heart of it all is one of the Illawarra’s biggest junior clubs, the Wests Devils — and behind them, a powerhouse of local support: Wests Illawarra.
The club’s ClubsNSW Award for Fostering Grassroots Sport is more than a trophy on the shelf. It’s a testament to decades of dedication and investment into the region’s sporting life — funding that’s helping junior athletes not only play but thrive — sometimes for generations.
5. From shy kid to ‘Killa Kye’: Shellharbour wrestler takes on his US dream
by Kellie O’Brien
Shellharbour wrestlers Killa Kye and The Bachelor were preparing to head to Texas to train. Photos: Marc K/Nell.
Two Shellharbour wrestlers are body-slamming their way from Wollongong to Texas, chasing their dream of making it big in the US wrestling scene. Meet Kye “Killa Kye” Cooper and Connor “The Bachelor” Smith, whose larger-than-life personas and hard-hitting passion are ready to take the ring by storm.
4. Look out roller derby, artistic skating is having a revival in Wollongong
by Zoe Cartwright
Coach Ebene Montgomery (centre) with artistic skaters Kendall Apolloni, Shari Johnston-Price, Harper Apolloni, Ava Kelly, Hayley Coperland and Mia Beynon. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
An Illawarra sports club has been revived and is on the hunt for a new home.
Artistic roller skating in the region ground to a halt after beloved coach Gordon Homes was diagnosed with cancer in 2019.
When he died in 2021 the club collapsed, and passionate skaters like 15-year-old Mia Beynon had to travel to Sydney for coaching.
3. End of an era as Dapto Dogs set to run last lap at ‘mega’ farewell this September
by Kellie O’Brien
Dapto Greyhounds Club ran its last race in September. Photo: GRNSW.
After almost 89 years, Dapto Greyhound Club hosted its final race in September, bringing the curtain down on an iconic chapter in Australian greyhound racing.
While Greyhound Racing NSW’s lease on the venue doesn’t expire until 30 June next year, a decision was made to stage the club’s last race meeting on Dapto’s night of night’s – the Ladbrokes Megastar.
2. Illawarra rugby pays tribute to living legend John ‘Storky’ Martin with new foundation and celebration
by Kellie O’Brien
John ‘Storky’ Martin during his playing days. Photo: Supplied.
At 92, John ‘Storky’ Martin OAM has dedicated eight decades to rugby — as a player, coach, administrator and the heart of the Vikings Rugby Club.
Now, the Illawarra community is honouring the beloved character’s incredible legacy with the launch of The John ‘Storky’ Martin Foundation for player welfare and development, ensuring his passion for the sport and its players continues for generations to come.
1. Fans’ Ill-a-war-ra war cry inspires gutsy Hawks to claim first championship title in 24 years
by Julian O’Brien
The Illawarra Hawks Championship team is engulfed in a sea of ticker tape. Photo: Julian O’Brien.
Just like the Illawarra region they represent, the Illawarra Hawks Basketball showed resilience and true grit to come back from behind in the finals series to claim the Championship title. Julian O’Brien was one of thousands of passionate and excited fans celebrating the club’s first title win in 8710 days.
