Gold medal gong

ZAC Seidman was awarded the prestigious Pierre de Coubertin Award by the Australian Olympic Committee for sportsmanship and leadership qualities equal to those of Olympians.

The Moriah College year 12 student was one of 100 students across NSW who received the award and then attended a workshop with former beach volleyballer Kerri Pottharst, who won gold at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, track cycling gold-medallist Stephen Wooldridge and dual winter Olympian Hannah Campbell-Pegg at Sydney Olympic Park late last month.

Zac has competed in triathlon and running at state level for Moriah, but said to him, sport isn’t just about winning. “As long as I try my best and I know I competed the best that I could I’m always happy,” he said. “It was very exciting to receive the award and I never expected it.

“The workshop day was great as well because we heard presentations about the London 2012 Olympic Games and also spoke about how big the Olympics really is, in comparison to other major sporting events.”

The award is named after de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic games. The Pierre de Coubertin Medal is awarded to Olympic athletes who demonstrate the spirit of sportsmanship, while the junior awards are for athletes around the world who demonstrate the same attributes.

JOSHUA LEVI

Zac Seidman received the Pierre de Coubertin Award from Olympic gold-medallist Stephen Wooldridge

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