Geraldton Guardian Mid West Sports Awards: A welcome from Mid West Sports Federation chairman Mike Bowley

The Mid West Sports Federation is proud to bring you the 51st year of the Geraldton Guardian Mid West Sports Awards – the longest standing sports awards in regional Australia. For more than 50 long years since people had the foresight to create these awards, it’s so pleasing to call our many different sports together for a night of celebration, recognition and good fun. The awards are a key part of the federation’s vision to promote and strengthen the Mid West as a leader in regional sport and recreation. Anyone who knows the Mid West will appreciate our long and proud sporting history. This year we will celebrate and recognise many significant achievements and successes, both on and off the field. The sporting achievements by individuals and teams over the years would not be possible without the support of administrators, umpires, coaches and sponsors. These sports awards are not only about the talented athletes, but they celebrate the volunteers in our community who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sport possible. Like all clubs and associations, the federation has an amazing group of sponsors for these awards, many of which have been involved for years — or even decades. In this 51st year of the awards, we thank them all along with new event sponsors who have come on board to make the 2023 Mid West Sports Awards an event to remember. We again call on everyone to support our sponsors and help keep your dollars in the Mid West region. In recent years we have auspiced the new Mid West Cycling Advocacy Group and are extremely pleased to see their immediate progress to Geraldton and other parts of the region. Our congratulations and thanks go to the small group of volunteers from the cycling fraternity who have worked hard to provide learn-to-cycle programs in our schools, design and deliver cycling facilities on our foreshore, and bring the successful and rapidly growing “Backroads Gravel” bike race to Chapman Valley. This is a great example of sporting groups working together to help our sports grow. All tiers of governments are recognised for their support to these, and future facility improvements. As chair of the federation, I look forward to a night of recognition and celebration. I would also like to recognise and thank our small group of volunteers who contribute to the sporting future of the Mid West. I’d especially like to thank our MWSF project officer, Kelly Eastough, who works incredibly hard throughout the year to keep in touch with our members and to make our awards night a special occasion. Congratulations to the large field of nominees in all categories — everyone nominated is truly deserving.