2025 Victorian Disability Sport & Recreation Awards
- krispaproth
- Aug 27
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 5
A Night of Celebration and Inspiration at the MCG.
On Tuesday, 26 August, the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground hosted an unforgettable evening as the
2025 Victorian Disability Sport & Recreation Awards celebrated the people, programs and communities championing inclusion through sport and recreation.
With three-time Paralympian Maddy Hogan as the engaging MC and a warm welcome from DSR CEO Liz Tesone, the night captured the spirit of resilience, teamwork and passion that defines our community.
"It’s wonderful to celebrate the incredible achievements of our finalists and winners tonight. Each of you is truly inspiring, and we are all fortunate to share this evening in your company. I’m moved by the work happening across the industry to embed disability into the community, and it’s impossible to walk away from this event without feeling inspired by the talent and dedication in the room." - DSR CEO Liz Tesone
Honouring 12 Categories of Excellence
The 2025 Awards celebrated achievements across 12 categories, each recognising the vital roles individuals, teams and organisations play in creating an inclusive landscape in Victiora.
This year marked an exciting milestone with the introduction of a 'Highly Commended' award, recognising the incredible depth of talent across all award categories. In some cases, the competition was so strong that two winners were named, a true testament to the outstanding contributions being made every day.
The event’s most prestigious accolade, the Kevin Coombs Lifetime Achievement Award, was presented to Jane Baker of the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) Victoria (Moorabbin). Jane’s impact spans over 25 years of unwavering dedication.
As a volunteer, coach, and long-serving President for 18 years, Jane transformed the Moorabbin Centre into Victoria’s most active and continuously operating RDA centre. Under her leadership, the Centre grew into a thriving community supported by 100 volunteers, providing life-changing opportunities for up to 100 riders annually.
The evening was more than an awards ceremony, it was a celebration of community, resilience and the shared belief that sport and recreation should be accessible to all.
One word captured the spirit of the evening: joy. Award recipients spoke about the profound joy that sport and community bring, not only to people with disability, but to everyone involved. Volunteers, families, coaches and teammates all share in this joy, creating a powerful sense of connection and belonging.
It was a theme that resonated as winners took the stage, reminding us that inclusion enriches every part of the sport and recreation community.
The 2025 Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Award recipients are:
Kevin Coombs Lifetime Achievement Award
Jane Baker - Riding for the Disabled Association of Victoria (Moorabbin)
Community Team Member of the Year Sponsored by VicHealth
Katherine (Katie) Kaminsky - Adaptive Climbing Victoria
Administrator of the Year Sponsored by My Sport Live
Selin-Deniz Arpaci - Football Victoria
Therese Dogra - Freedom Solutions Australia
Volunteer of the Year Sponsored by etrainu
Veronica Treloar - Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club
Highly Commended: Brooke Carter - Victorian Goalball Association
Coach/Fitness Leader of the Year Sponsored by The Owl Insights
Tan Ke (Tom) Xie - Special Olympics, Melbourne Inner East
Tara Lake - Balwyn Gymnastics Club and Special Olympics, Melbourne Inner East
Masters Sportsperson of the Year Sponsored by Carbine Club
Assunta Fogliaro -Sport Climbing Australia
Marg Angel Junior Sportsperson of the Year Sponsored by Protect
Bonnie McCarroll - Anglesea Surf Life Saving Club
Team of the Year Sponsored by Inspire Group
Melbourne City Powerchair Team - Melbourne City Football Club
Inclusive Infrastructure Award (Sport, Recreation or Open Space) Sponsored by VicHealth
The All Abilities Skate Frame, Riverslide Skate Park - The Y, Als Skate Co
and City of Melbourne
Active Recreation and Leisure Initiative of the Year Sponsored by Clublinks
Walking and Rolling Together: Accessible Walking Paths for People with Disability - Victoria Walks
Highly Commended: The Victorian Safer Swimmer Certificate (VSSC) – Life Saving Victoria
Sport Initiative or Event of the Year Sponsored by Reclink Australia
Aqua Fit Program - Blind Sports & Recreation Victoria and Hume Leisure, Broadmeadows Aquatic & Leisure Centre.
Highly Commended: The Tackle Free Carnivals - Football Integration Development Association
Elite Sportsperson of the Year Sponsored by In Place Living
India Biesse Fitton - Special Olympics Australia, Multiclass Sports Association and Sports Inclusion Australia
Dan Pritchard - Victorian Goalball Association
Congratulations to all finalists and award winners!
The award night photos by Matthew Morden of Morden Productions will be available shortly via our Facebook page.
Read more about the annual VDSR Awards and view the live stream recording on our website.
Thank you to our sponsors!
The award process and the event would not be possible without the generous support from our sponsors.
We would like to extend a wholehearted thank you to the following Award sponsors.
Protect, In Place Living, VicHealth, Inspire Group, The Owl Insights, Reclink Australia, Clublinks, etrainu,
It’s inspiring to see the Victorian Disability Sports & Recreation Awards recognizing achievements in disabled sports. These athletes push the limits in ways we can’t even imagine, and their recognition is long overdue. It’s much like platforms such as RickyCasino where players are recognized for their skills and dedication, even when the game seems like a long shot. Do you think the momentum for recognizing disabled athletes will continue growing, or is there still too much work to do to break down barriers in mainstream sports?