January 28, 2026
Goomeri P-10 State School’s 2025 school captain and dux, Eli Richards, was presented with the Gympie Regional Council’s Senior Sports Award at the Council’s Australia Day Awards ceremony on Monday.
The awards were presented by Gympie Mayor Glen Hartwig at a special event in Gympie’s Memorial Park.
(Eli’s citation is below)
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Senior Sports Award – Eli Richards
Eli is a most deserving recipient of the 2026 Sports Award in recognition of his exceptional achievements in athletics, particularly discus.
Throughout 2025, Eli represented Queensland on two occasions, demonstrating remarkable consistency and excellence at the highest levels of competition.
In April, he competed at the Little Athletics National Championships in Adelaide, earning a bronze medal in the U15 boys discus. Later in the year, he claimed silver at the Queensland All Schools Championships in Brisbane, qualifying for the Australian All Schools Championships in Melbourne, where he won gold in the U16 boys discus with a personal best throw of 59.11 metres.
Along the way, he has broken numerous club, school, and interschool records, cementing his reputation as an elite young athlete.
Beyond his sporting success, Eli exemplifies dedication, leadership, and community pride.
A long-time student of Goomeri State School, Eli was School Captain in 2025, awarded Dux, and has been athletics age champion every year since 2015.
Known affectionately as the “paddock kid,” he trains on a homemade discus ring on his family’s farm in Tansey, making his achievements even more extraordinary given the limited resources available.
Coming from a family with deep generational ties to the Goomeri region and a strong history of community service, Eli is not only a sporting champion but also a role model for young people across the region.
His determination, humility, and commitment to excellence make him a truly worthy winner of the 2026 Sports Award.
