Gunnedah Australia Day Awards: Sportspeople receive top honours

To some, the long days may not sound ideal, but Perkins – who received the Ivan Towns Memorial Award for coach of the year at Gunnedah’s Australia Day awards ceremony on Thursday night – loves every moment of it.

“It’s my way of life,” Perkins said.

“I’m so lucky. I start at 5am and I love it. 

“I love all of it. I love getting athletes to compete. Athleticism is my speciality.”

Perkins – who runs a training facility, Gunnedah Health & Fitness Co – has coached people of all ages with a range of abilities.

Whether it’s a top flight athlete or someone playing sport for the first time, Perkins’ said coaching is just as rewarding regardless of who she’s working with.

It’s a passion that comes from her father.

“My father passed his passion on to me,” Perkins said.

“My father was a national track and field coach. I come from a family of professional athletes and I always loved the coaching side.

“I did a lot in Sydney with top sports teams and when I moved to Gunnedah I reinvented in a local sense.”

Perkins said it was “really nice” to receive recognition and noted her coaching was a team effort with her family.

“There’s a fair bit of time and energy that goes into this and we all do it together,” Perkins said of her family.

“My father was a national track and field coach and I come from a family of professional athletes,” Perkins said.

Perkins wasn’t the only sports award winner on the night with teams and other sportspeople also recognised.

Sports Team of the Year went to the Gunnedah Football Club while the Junior Sports Team of the Year was won by Gunnedah High School boy’s cricket team.

Adam McGuirk was named Junior Male Sportsperson of the Year for his stellar efforts playing cricket – both the indoor and outdoor variety.

Junior Female Sportsperson of the Year went to golfer Taryn Maher who was the Australian age champion in 2017 amongst other feats.