APC Staff Recognized for Women's Sport Contribution

Cathy Lambert honoured for her work in disability sport at Australian Women's Health Magazine Awards 17 Oct 2011 By IPC

"We are extremely proud of Cathy’s achievement and it is another fine example of the work APC staff members are doing in the community."

Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) South Australian Development Co-ordinator, Cathy Lambert, was honoured for her work in disability sport at the Australian Women’s Health Magazine’s I Support Women in Sport Awards in Melbourne last week.

Held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the awards recognize the contribution Australian women make to its sporting landscape at a local and international level.

Nominated by the APC, Lambert won the Grassroots Greatest Award for her volunteer work in introducing Goalball, a Paralympic team sport for people with a visual impairment, to the South Australian visually impaired community.

“I didn’t think I’d win. Everyone I was up against was very involved in their communities and were doing such great things, it was an honour just to be among them,” said Lambert.

“And there was little old me, amongst some of the biggest names in Australian sport. It was very exciting.”

Outside her sporting pathway development work for the Australian Paralympic Committee, Lambert is credited with introducing the uniquely Paralympic Sport to many South Australian school students, including 19-year-old Rachel Henderson.

Discovered at a Paralympic Talent Search Day, Henderson is now part of the Australian women’s Goalball squad and is personally coached by Lambert.

“We are extremely proud of Cathy’s achievement and it is another fine example of the work APC staff members are doing in the community,” said APC Chief Executive, Jason Hellwig.

Winter Paralympic Games bronze medallist Jessica Gallagher and Paralympic Hall of Fame inductee Louise Sauvage were also recognized as finalists for their contribution to Australian sport.