From the 305 nominations received for the 2003 Pierre de Coubertin awards, 21 representatives were selected to participate in the NSW Presentation on Monday June 23rd at the State Hockey Centre, Sydney Olympic Park.

Musical entertainment was provided by the North Sydney Boys High School jazz ensemble, with Jessica Smith, from East Hills Girls High School opening proceedings with the national anthem, and concluding the ceremony with her rendition of the Olympic theme song Power of the Dream.



The twenty-one attendees were (click name for more);

- William Whitby, Bega High School
- Katie Dodds, Beverly Hills Girls High School
- Ben Leslie, Cambridge Park High School
- Christopher Towells, De La Salle College - Ashfield
- Robert McElroy, Duval High School
- Andrew Beer, Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School
- Rachel Johnston, Holroyd High School
- Rhiannon Fotheringham, Illawarra Sports High School
- Josephine Gollan, Kincoppal – Rose Bay
- Nathan Brown, Leumeah High School
- Briony Stehr, Mount St. Benedict College
- Karen Matthews, Murwillumbah High School
- Jamie Latham, Muswellbrook High School
- Alexander Howes, Newington College
- Courtney Biggs, Oxley High School
- Scott Arnold, St. John Bosco College - Engadine
- Adam D’Arcy, St. Joseph’s College - Hunter’s Hill
- Ashleigh Mulholland, St. Philip’s Christian College
- Beatrix Cobon, The Forest High School
- Sarah Cox, The Scots School - Albury
- Sophie Butt, Yass High School


Click here to view the FULL LIST of the NSW Pierre de Coubertin winners.

After sharing her Olympic experiences with all those in attendance, special guest, 1996 Olympic Swimmer Nadine Neumann, presented the students with their certificates. Several students who had submitted exceptional entries also presented their work during the ceremony. Beatrix Cobon, a student from the Forest High School performed her song “You Can Be,” complete with guitar accompaniment, while Andrew Beer from Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School recited his poem Power Unrecognised.

The Australian Olympic Committee and the NSW Department of Education & Training established the Pierre de Coubertin awards as part of the Sydney 2000 Olympic bid.

Secondary schools throughout NSW are invited to nominate a student who has participated in a range of sports and has demonstrated the Olympic spirit particularly fair play and leadership.

This year, 305 “good sports” from NSW schools received the coveted award.

Named after the founder of the Modern Olympics, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the awards were inspired by his message “ The most important thing in the Olympics is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle”.