“I played doubles and singles in my first year of Glam Slam and then my second year, I played doubles, singles and mixed with my husband, Ben Perkin,” she said.
“I literally won the second event, where I met Billie-Jean King, and then jumped on a plane two days later to go to Spain.”
Perkin said she won the singles championship and mixed doubles with Rowan D’Souza in an Australia versus United States final, which they went on to win after losing the first set 0-6.
“It was at a little tennis club, just like we would have in Horsham,” she said.
“Everyone was there to win on the court, but as soon as you got off, it was ‘whose shout is it for a beer?’. That is the really good thing about tennis, no matter where you go, it’s the same.”
Logan Young, Jed Hermans, Remo Luciani, Jorja Clode and Hailey Puls were also nominated for sports star of the year, for excellence in their different sports.
Other award winners included –
Grassroots award: Joel Freijah, Western Bulldogs footballer.
Valued volunteer: Ian O’Donnell, Swifts Football Netball Club.
Access All Abilities Athlete: Local, Indya Baulch; national, Josh Barry.
Tom Gawith Spirit of Community award: Ben Lakin, Will Robertson, Joel, Jarrod and Tom Berry – Marathon for Mum.
Unsung Hero: Jenelle Patterson, Natimuk and District Gymnastic Club.
Veteran: Ian McCrae, Dimboola Bowls Club.
Coach of the year: Ash Grace, St Brigid’s College and Horsham Saints netball.
Official of the year: Cameron Pickering, Wimmera Umpires Association.
Women in Sport award: Lynette Morrow, Natimuk and District Gymnastic Club.
Junior sports star and Ian Niblett Scholarship Fund: Chavi Sulic, Team Vic football.
Club of the year: Natimuk and District Gymnastic Club.
Sporting School: St Brigid’s College, Horsham.
Team of the year: Volleyball Horsham women’s division-one team.
The entire February 21, 2024 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!
