Katrina Werry etched her name into the history books after claiming the prestigious title of Ballarat sportsperson of the year.
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It was second time in three years Werry took home the award, following her ascension into the elite ranks of world rowing.
Her form throughout 2019 all but cemented her a ticket to the Olympic Games.
Werry edged out six other nominees - para-athlete Sam Rizzo, para-sailor Alison Weatherly, cyclist Nick White, tennis star Zoe Hives, swimmer Anna Leighton and eight-ball ace Kolbe Pool - to win the award on Wednesday.
Werry, who was unable to attend the ceremony, had a list of accomplishments which spanned across the globe in 2019.
Featuring in the Australian women's coxless four squad, she won a gold and a bronze medal at two World Rowing Cup events, before claiming gold at the 2019 World Rowing Championships.
The results qualified her boat for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Werry shared much of her 2019 success with Lucy Stephan, who attended Ballarat Grammar. Stephan, along with Werry were named in the Australian Female Crew of the Year for 2019.
The pair have been mainstays in the Australian women's rowing team for the last three years. They are part of an elite squad which trains full-time at the Hancock Prospecting Women's National Training Centre in Penrith.
Werry told The Courier in November the squad had forged strong crews in the coxless fours, eights and pairs events. She said it wouldn't matter what boat she was placed in at Tokyo.
"The four would be great but so would the eight or the pair. We are such a strong squad it doesn't really matter," she said.
"We are in the situation where we are one of the most successful countries in women's rowing right now and ideally we want to be winning medals."
The former Ballarat Clarendon student is part of a long list of rowers to have won the award. Gary Gullock won it back in back in 1984. He was followed by two-time recipient Emily Martin, Anthony Edwards and James Marburg.