35 student-athletes received recognition for their sporting achievements at the 111th UQ Blues Awards.
The event was hosted by former ABC commentator Gerry Collins, with special guest speaker Leisel Jones OAM.
Newly awarded ‘Judo Blue’ Charisma Taylor shared the stage with ‘1987 Football Blue’ Sue Monteath for a discussion. Sue expressed her pride in seeing the growth of Women in sport, primarily after the success of the Matilda’s campaign at the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023. Charisma is now setting her sights on Olympic qualification for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics after a successful year representing Australia at the 2023 World Judo Championships in Doha and winning Gold for UQ at UniSport Nationals.
The exceptional talent of female athletes at The University of Queensland was on full display as women took centre stage, claiming 7 out of the 8 Full Blue awards in 2023.
Eliza Bradford became only the third Cheer and Dance awardee in Blues history after representing Australia at the 2023 World Cheerleading Championships. She said: “It’s very exciting to be acknowledged with the Half Blue for all the hard work I put in over the years”.
Full Blue recipient Jeremy Hunt won the 18-kilometre ‘Ultra-Trail Race‘ held in the French Alps and set a new course record. He expressed his pride in receiving the award: “Really special to receive a Full Blue, especially when you look at all the other people that have received it in the past. To be in this community makes me feel very lucky.”
UQ Sport Chief Executive Officer Bryan Pryde said: “A University Blue or Half Blue is one of the highest accolades a student-athlete can receive. Being an award recipient means joining a very exclusive list in history.”
2023 UQ Blue recipients
CHELSEA GUBECKA – SWIMMING – Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
JEREMY HUNT – ATHLETICS – Doctor of Medicine
GEORGIA JOHNSON – BEACH VOLLEYBALL – Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
ISABELLA NASSER – RUGBY SEVENS – Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
ELIZABETH NEWELL – ROWING – Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
PHOEBE ROBINSON – ROWING – Bachelor of Agribusiness
TATUM STEWART – HOCKEY – Bachelor of Health, Sport and Physical Education (Honours)
CHARISMA TAYLOR – JUDO – Bachelor of Arts
2023 UQ Half Blue recipients
ELIZA BRADFORD – CHEER & DANCE – Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
ELIZA BRIDGEFOOT – ROWING – Bachelor of Architectural Design
NICOLE CONNACHER – SOFTBALL – Bachelors of Mathematics / Commerce
SOPHIE FADAELY – SQUASH – Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
HANNAH FREDERICKS – SWIMMING – Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours)
AIDEN FRICK – GYMNASTICS – Bachelors of Science / Arts
CHELSEA GAN – INDOOR CRICKET – Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)
MIKAELA GRAY – ORIENTEERING – Bachelors of Mathematics / Arts
MONIQUE HANLON – ATHLETICS – Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
RUBY HARRIS – HOCKEY – Bachelor of Business Management
LACHLAN KENNEDY – ATHLETICS – Bachelors of Engineering (Honours) / Commerce
LINDSEY KILIWNIK – ICE HOCKEY – Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology (Honours)
GEORGIE LAWRENCE – KARATE – Bachelor of Nursing
JACOB MADDEN – TOUCH FOOTBALL – Bachelors of Economics / Laws (Honours)
RILEY MADDEN – TOUCH FOOTBALL – Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Sciences (Honours)
MONTY MARTIN – ROWING – Bachelors of Commerce / Economics
HOWARD MCDONALD – ATHLETICS – Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
ALEXANDRA PATCHEN – FENCING – Master of Physiotherapy Studies
MAGGIE SANDLES – TRIATHLON – Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Sciences (Honours)
SUMMER SHORT – LIFESAVING – Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)
JAMES TAKKEN – BEACH VOLLEYBALL – Bachelor of Arts
ROBERT THORPE – SWIMMING – Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
LEX TUCKER – ROWING – Bachelors of Business Management / Economics
NAOMI TUCKER – ROPE SKIPPING – Bachelor of Speech Pathology
DREW WEIGHTMAN – ROWING – Bachelors of Science / Laws (Honours)
SIDNEY WHIPP – GOALBALL – Bachelor of Arts
REILLY WILLIAMS – ROWING – Bachelor of Business Management