A mother who returned to the Commonwealth Games podium just over a year after giving birth. A curler who turned Olympic heartbreak into Australia’s first world curling title. A cyclist who has come back from a fractured femur, heart inflammation and surgery to race among the world’s best.
Named in memory of VIS rower Sarah Tait, this award recognises the VIS athlete who most encompasses the spirit of the VIS: the courage, commitment and persistence to achieve their sporting goals, and the ability to inspire others and bring pride to their community. Meet this year’s finalists, Brooke Buschkuehl, Dean Hewitt and Sarah Gigante.
Brooke Buschkuehl, Athletics
Brooke Buschkuehl first stepped onto the long jump runway at Nunawading Little Athletics more than 20 years ago. Her career since has been defined as much by persistence as by the records she has set.
A three-time Olympian, she jumped 7.13m in 2022, the longest jump ever by an Australian woman. Along the way she has managed coeliac disease, Hashimoto’s disease, knee surgery and mental health challenges, speaking openly about the hard days rather than hiding from them.
After Paris 2024, she stepped away from sport for a career break and celebrated a new chapter with her husband Nathan, welcoming their son, Bobby in June 2025. Seven weeks later she was back in training. In 2026 she won the national title by two centimetres, claimed the Oceania Championship and, just over a year after giving birth, won bronze at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games with 6.80m, her third consecutive Commonwealth Games medal.
Off the runway, Buschkuehl co-owns NB Performance Exercise Physiology with her husband, is a Coeliac Australia Ambassador and a Life Member of the Sports Excellence Scholarship Fund (SESF), and regularly engages with the Victorian community, sharing her story with young people through the VIS community programs.
Dean Hewitt, Curling
Dean Hewitt first stepped onto the ice at around six years of age, inspired by his parents, and grew up chasing an Olympic dream in a sport with no dedicated facilities in Australia.
He made history as the first Australian curler to qualify for the Winter Olympics, finishing 10th in mixed doubles with partner Tahli Gill (QAS) at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games. In November 2025, Gill and Hewitt became the first Australian team to reach world No. 1 in any curling discipline.
Weeks later came heartbreak. Despite a top ranking and bronze at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships, the pair finished third at the Olympic qualification event in December 2025, missing the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics by one spot. Despite the result Hewitt continued to give back to the Victorian community, showing up for VIS Community Programs and using his journey to inspire others. His focus turned to the World Championships in Switzerland. Three months after the conclusion of the Milano Cortina Games, he and Gill beat Italy 7–6 in the semi-final before winning gold, Australia’s first-ever world curling title.
Off the ice, Hewitt is an active speaker in the VIS Community Programs, is an inaugural member of the VIS Athlete Advisory Group, and works as an exercise physiologist and cardiovascular research assistant at the University of Alberta.
Sarah Gigante, Cycling
Few athletes have had to find their way back as often as Sarah Gigante. At 25, she has repeatedly returned from severe injuries and complex medical conditions to race among the world’s best.
At 19, Gigante won both the U23 and Elite Women’s Australian National Road Race Championships, then represented Australia at the Tokyo Olympics, finishing 11th in the Individual Time Trial. Soon after, she was diagnosed with myopericarditis, a serious inflammation of the heart muscle and surrounding tissue. Rather than let it define her career, she approached her recovery with characteristic determination, even learning Spanish while in hospital in Spain so she could better communicate with her medical team.
At the end of 2023, facing doubts about her future, she made the courageous decision to leave her team. Shortly afterwards, she won the 2024 Santos Tour Down Under, one of Australian cycling’s most memorable moments.
Following surgery for iliac artery endofibrosis in late 2024 and a dislocated shoulder, she did not race again until May 2025. Weeks later from her return to sport she produced the best Grand Tour results of her career: third overall, two stage wins and the Mountains Classification jersey at the Giro d’Italia Women, then sixth overall at the Tour de France Femmes. Shortly after, she fractured her femur in a training accident. A second surgery followed, and after 403 days away from racing she returned to represent Australia at the 2026 World Championships in Montreal.
Through interviews and podcasts, Gigante has spoken openly about injury, rehabilitation, and self-doubt, helping younger athletes understand that setbacks are a natural part of pursuing excellence.
The winner will be announced at the 2026 VIS Award of Excellence at Marvel Stadium on Tuesday 17 November. Follow VIS channels (@vicinstsport) to stay up to date with the evening.
