With the year drawing to a close the Forbes Sportsperson of the Year Committee would like to remind all local sporting organisations to nominate their sporting champions.

Every sporting club should be proud to nominate someone in every category available which are Administrator, Coach/Trainer, Referee/Official, All Rounder, and of course the Junior and Senior Sportsperson.

All nominations are judged by an independent judging panel with winners to be announced at the Annual Awards Presentation Dinner to be held on Saturday February 26, 2022 at the Forbes Golf & Sportsman's Hotel.

The Annual Presentation Dinner is well supported each year with more than 150 people attending and the committee are excited to announce that this year's guest speaker is previous Sportsperson of the Year Winner, Jessica Pascoe.

After finishing Year 12 at Forbes High School Jess won the Australian Cross Country Championships before heading to Florida, USA on a full athletic scholarship.

At Florida she was the South Eastern Conference (SEC) Champion in Cross Country (6km) and 10,000m on track. Jess was named the SEC runner of the year in 2018 and picked up 8 National and Conference Runner of the week awards.

Jess set Florida records in both track and cross country as well as breaking the Australian indoor 5,000m with a time of 15.34.

Since finishing her scholarship with Florida University Jess has returned to Australia and has taken up a position with the Adelaide Institute of Sport and has commenced training with the Asics Team Tempo Elite squad with goals of making the Australian Olympic team.

The SOYA committee said the awards would not be possible without the support of their regular sponsors and local businesses including the Central West Credit Union, Forbes Advocate, Club Forbes, Forbes Sport & Recreation Club, Hello World Travel, V C Reid & Son, Hazell & Field, Haley's Steel & Hardware, Walker's Ag N Vet Services, Vandenburg Hotel, Cahill's Footwear, Forbes Netball Association, Forbes Shire Council, Gunn's Menswear, Neil Morrison Livestock Transport, V'Air Hairdressers, News On Rankin, Flannery's Pharmacy, Hughes & Co Solicitors and Conveyancing, Nicholson Petroleum, Forbes Livestock, Central West Diesel, Turners Furniture One and Blue Sky Outdoors.

New sponsors are always welcome and their support will be advertised at every available opportunity.

Nominations forms can be emailed by contacting organisation secretary, Anita Morrison on 0405 364 512 or email - morrisonaj68@gmail.com