Having made a collective commitment nearing two centuries to sport in Western Australia, three individuals will be celebrated when they receive the May Campbell Medal for their distinguished service to sport in the state at the WA Sport Awards next month.
Gaye Teede (Netball), Brett Woollfitt (Rowing) and Tom Hoad (Water Polo) will be among the big winners at one of the most prestigious nights on the WA sporting calendar, with the trio to be celebrated for a lifetime of dedication to their respective sports.
SportWest CEO, Troy Kirkham, said the heartfelt dedication of this year’s medallists reflects a deep love for their sport and the communities they’ve shaped.
“These three outstanding West Australians have given decades of service, not for recognition, but for the love of their sport and the people within it. Their impact can be seen in every athlete they’ve mentored, every program they’ve strengthened and every community they’ve helped grow. SportWest is honoured to celebrate their remarkable contribution to our sporting landscape,” Mr Kirkham said.
Gaye Teede – Netball
In Western Australia’s rich sporting history, few figures have shaped their code – and their community – like Gaye Teede.
For more than six decades, Teede has been a powerhouse in netball, building a legacy spanning from on-court brilliance to national high-performance coaching and long-term mentorship.
A gifted track athlete in her youth, she ultimately found her true calling on the netball court, where her competitive instinct and leadership qualities quickly lifted her to the elite level. Her playing career is decorated with exceptional achievements: years of representing Western Australia, captaining the 1971 State Open Team to a national championship, and becoming the only WA developed player to captain an Australian World Championship winning team. Internationally, she represented Australia at the 1967, 1971 and 1979 World Championships, earning 17 Test Caps along the way.
Teede’s name appears in some of the sport’s most prestigious honour rolls: the Netball Australia Hall of Fame (2009), WA Hall of Champions (1989 & 2018), WA Sportsman of the Year, now the WA Sports Star (1971), the R&I Medal (1970, 1978, 1979) and the Australian Sports Medal (2000). Each one marks another chapter in a career built on consistency, discipline and excellence.
But for all her impact as a player, it’s Teede’s coaching and developmental work that may ultimately define her legacy. From 1982 to 1998, she took on key coaching roles at the Australian Institute of Sport, helping shape the next generation of national athletes. Importantly, she maintained a close connection to Western Australian players during this period—guiding more than 20 local athletes who earned AIS scholarships and helping them navigate the demands of elite sport far from home.
When she returned to WA, Teede brought that wealth of experience into roles with the Perth Orioles and the Western Australian Institute of Sport, before leading Netball WA’s high performance pathway. She continued to shape the sport through state teams, coach education and mentorship programs. Among the many athletes she has influenced are West Coast Fever players Ingrid Colyer and Emma Cosh, both of whom came through pathways strengthened by Teede’s guidance.
Today, more than 60 years since she first stepped onto a netball court, Gaye Teede’s influence continues to ripple throughout Western Australian sport. She remains a role model, an advocate and a guiding voice for countless young women and girls. Her contribution to Netball WA is woven into the fabric of the sport’s success, and her legacy stands as proof of the extraordinary impact one dedicated individual can have on a community.
Brett Woollfitt – Rowing
There are names that appear in record books, and then there are names that echo across generations. For rowing, that echo belongs unmistakably to Brett Woollfitt — a man whose life on and off the water has shaped the culture, professionalism and heart of the sport for more than sixty years.
If you spent any early Saturday morning near the Swan River, chances are you’ve seen him: the calm figure in the umpire’s boat, the watchful eye on the start line, or the reassuring presence by the sheds. Brett Woollfitt has been an active part of rowing since the mid-1960s, competing well into 2024 — an athletic tenure most could only dream of.
But Brett’s legacy was never confined to the stroke seat.
Since 1965, he has officiated at every Rowing WA club and school regatta, an unmatched record of service sustained across more than half a century.
From 1983 to 2024, he officiated at nearly every Australian Rowing Championships, and his reputation for precision and integrity saw him appointed to roles at:
- Three FISA World Championships
- The Southeast Asian Games
- The Sydney 2000 Olympic Regatta
While many know him from the riverbank, Brett’s impact behind the scenes is just as extraordinary.
For 44 years, Brett served as Rowing WA’s Property Officer, a role demanding equal parts technical skill, reliability, and selflessness. He maintained boats, umpiring equipment, radios, megaphones, and essential infrastructure — the simple but vital things that keep a sport afloat.
At Swan River Rowing Club, Brett wasn’t just a member — he was a chapter in its history.
Captain. President. Patron. Roles that reflect leadership, respect and a deep commitment to community.
Brett Woollfitt has given Western Australian sport something precious: not just decades of service, but a culture built on respect, generosity and quiet excellence. And like the ripples left behind a passing boat, his impact will continue spreading long after the oars are lifted from the water.
Tom Hoad – Water Polo
Few figures in Australian sport embody longevity, leadership and influence quite like Tom Hoad. Over more than six decades, Hoad has shaped water polo, elevated Western Australia’s sporting landscape and championed opportunities for athletes across the nation. His contribution spans the pool deck, boardrooms, global sporting events and the development pathways that continue to shape future champions.
Hoad’s journey began as a 19 year old representing Western Australia in 1959 before quickly rising to the national stage. What followed was an unprecedented playing and coaching career across eight Olympic Games. He competed in four – Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964, Mexico City 1968 and Munich 1972 – serving as captain at three of them. He then coached Australia across another four Olympics between 1976 and 1988, earning a reputation as both an inspiring leader and a tactically astute mentor.
His impact, however, extended far beyond the pool. Hoad was a trailblazer in sports administration, becoming one of Western Australia’s most respected advocates for athletes. His leadership roles were extensive: president and vice president of the Australian Water Polo Association, chairman of the Western Australian Water Polo Association, and a long serving contributor at Melville Water Polo Club. He was also an Australian representative on the FINA Water Polo Committee, president of the WA Olympic Council and a board member of the WA Institute of Sport.
Perhaps one of his most transformative achievements was spearheading Perth’s successful bids for the 1991 and 1998 World Swimming Championships. As Executive Chairman of both events, Hoad secured government backing, led negotiations on the world stage and delivered two highly successful championships – the 1998 edition attracting a global audience of two billion people. These events are widely recognised as landmark moments in elevating Perth’s international sporting reputation.
Hoad’s service has been recognised through some of the highest sporting honours in Australia and internationally. He was named Western Australian Citizen of the Year in 1989, awarded the Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1994, inducted into the WA Institute of Sport Hall of Fame (1996) and the Water Polo Australia Hall of Fame (2009), and honoured as a Legend of the Western Australia Hall of Champions (2021). His impact on global aquatics was cemented with induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2011.
Across every chapter of his career, Tom Hoad has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to service – not only to water polo, but to Western Australian sport more broadly. His leadership has inspired generations, shaped organisations, delivered major events and strengthened the foundations that allow athletes and sports to thrive today.
Tom Hoad’s story is one of passion, innovation, courage and community impact. His legacy is etched into Australian sport, and his influence will continue to ripple through clubs, athletes and administrators for decades to come.
About the May Campbell Medal
In Western Australia, sport is woven into the fabric of community life — powered not only by athletes and coaches, but by the tireless volunteers, administrators, and champions of participation who make it all happen. Standing as one of the highest honours for this dedication is the May Campbell Medal for Service to Sport, presented annually at the WA Sport Awards.
Named after May Emma Campbell MBE, one of Western Australia’s greatest ever hockey players and administrators, the medal pays tribute to a woman whose career spanned 50 years across playing, coaching, selecting and guiding the sport nationally.
The May Campbell Medal recognises individuals who have made a distinguished and long‑standing contribution to sport or their sporting organisation. It’s presented to those who embody the spirit of community sport — dedication, generosity, leadership, and a genuine love for helping others thrive.
SportWest has consistently highlighted this purpose, describing the award as one that honours long and distinguished service across the WA sporting community.
The WA Sport Awards are the state’s most prestigious sporting honours, and the May Campbell Medal is one of their most respected categories. Finalists across recent years have come from diverse backgrounds — athletics, gymnastics, volleyball, calisthenics, football, swimming, lacrosse and more — demonstrating the breadth of WA’s volunteer-driven sporting ecosystem and the true celebration the Awards represent every year on the WA sporting calendar.
For more information
Matt Bamford | Member & Partnerships Manager
M: 0419 287 024 E: mattbamford@sportwest.com.au
