Australians are seen to have a unique international sporting profile. Many factors have contributed to this since our convict and British heritage. It is true to say that, compared to other countries, Australia, with its smaller population, has had many international champions in a wide variety of individual and team sports.
This, however, comes at a cost. Some would say sport takes money and attention away from the arts. Additionally, there is a view that masculinity is linked closely with Australian sporting traditions and our cultural identity, therefore disadvantaging females. (Amezdroz, Hosford, Dickens & Davis, 2004, p457)
Australians make decisions to be actively involved in sport, or to be a spectator or, in many cases, do both. Walking is our most common leisure activity (A.B.S., 2007), whilst Australian Rules football is our largest spectator sport with 1.5 Million alone attending games in 2007. From this culture, some Australians have risen to “Hero” status. Many have become role models to their adoring fans, whilst others have gone further by giving back to society. These are the true Australian Sports heroes.
A thirty-eight-year-old lifeguard from Coffs Harbour, NSW, who for 10 years straight, from 2002 until 2011, won the world's most gruelling ocean paddle race, from the Hawaiian island of Molokai to Oahu.
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