Wall of Champions honours Australia’s best

When the National Snowsports Training Centre was officially opened on Friday 7 June, one of the first things which captured the eye of visitors was the Wall of Champions at the main entrance of the John Langley Hancock Building.

The Wall was commissioned to honour Snow Australia’s champion athletes, and it's a high bar to make it onto the wall. 

To be honoured on the NSTC Wall of Champions, athletes must have won either:

• an Olympic or Paralympic gold medal,

• a World Championship, or

• a World Cup Crystal Globe

Athletes will have their plaques hung on the wall once they have retired from the sport.

“The Wall of Champions is yet another way we are looking to capture and celebrate the legacy of those athletes who have achieved success at the highest level and paved the way for the success we are currently seeing across both Olympic and Paralympic disciplines,” said Michael Kennedy, Snow Australia CEO.

Present at the opening was Australia’s first Olympic snowsports medallist Zali Steggall OAM who was excited to see her plaque hung amongst the country’s other ski and snowboard champions.

With the success achieved in recent years, a number of current athletes including Olympic Champion Jakara Anthony and World Champions Scotty James, Laura Peel (to name a few) have already made the criteria to have their names hung on the Wall but will need to wait until retirement so a complete list of their achievements can be recorded.

“The only thing we have to worry about is running out of room on the Wall as more and more athletes make it to the top,” said Kennedy, “but I guess that’s a great problem to have!”

In addition to the Wall of Champions, the Snow Australia Medal recognise the achievements and careers of retired athletes who represented Australia at the highest level of snowsport competition.

It is presented to all athletes who have finished in the top three at World Cup or World Championship level, and/or represented Australia at the Olympic or Paralympic Winter Games.

Prior to the NSTC Official Opening, four retired athletes, including Steggall received their Snow Australia Medals at the Breakfast of Champions - click here to read more.