The rower received the honour at the Ballarat Sportmen's Club annual awards dinner on Wednesday night, adding to her wins in 2017 and 2019.

Werry's accolade comes on the back of a remarkable 2022 with the Australian rowing team, headlined by a bronze medal win in the coxless four's at the World Rowing Championships.

The 29-year-old also won a gold medal in the coxless four's at the World Rowing Cup II, as part of a crew that included Ballarat Grammar product Lucy Stephan.

Werry's international success followed dominance on the domestic stage, having been crowned national champion after winning a gold in the open women's coxless pair at the Australian Rowing Championships.

The Ballarat Claredon College graduate was also part of the Victorian crew which won gold at the Queens Cup regatta.

Werry's Sportsperson of the Year honour follows her Hollioake Medallion win last year in recognition of her excellence as a team player as part of the Australian women's eight crew that finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics.

"The Sportsperson of the Year awards dinner is a wonderful celebration of Ballarat's sporting community," Ballarat Sportmen's Club president Bruce Tweedale said.

"The ability to showcase sport across all levels and see community participants share the stage with homegrown sporting heroes made for a very special occasion.

"Congratulations to all finalists and winners, notably Olympic rower Katrina Werry who was awarded the 2022 'Sportsperson of the Year' and her third overall in her stellar sporting career".

Alanna Peart's breakthrough year has been recognised, the 19-year-old winning the Hollioake Medallion in recognition of her excellence as part of two Australian youth race walking teams in 2022.

Peart, a member of the Ballarat Racewalking Club and Ballarat YCW Harriers, won silver with the Australian team at the World Athletics Racewalking Team Championships in Oman last year.

The Ballarat High School graduate finished 13th overall in the 10km event in what was her time competing on the international stage.

Peart also represented her country at the World Under 20 Track and Field Championships, finishing seventh in the 10km event.

Her selection for the world championships came after a second-place finish in the Australia U20 10,000m Walk Championships.

Peart executed a flawless walk at the world championships, breaking through the 48 minute barrier for the first time in the 10km walk, finishing in a time of 47 minutes, 47.77 seconds, just 10 seconds off fourth placing.

For the first time in six years the Wunhym Trophy has been shared with BMX phenom Josh Jolly and rising high jump star Lachlan O'Keefe announced as joint winners of the premier junior sportsperson award.

It is the first time O'Keefe has recieved the honour, while Jolly adds to his win from 2015 which he shared with sprinter Grace O'Dwyer.

O'Keefe made his international debut in 2022 finishing eighth overall in the high jump at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships while competing as a 17-year-old.

On the national stage, he won gold medals in the under-18 events at both the national championships and state championships to be ranked 1st in the country in Under 20 high jump.

Dubbed as one of the country's most exciting BMX talents, Jolly finished fourth in the under 16 boys event at the BMX World Championships in France last year.

He also won gold in the under 15-16 boys event at Crankworx Rotorua in New Zealand.

In 2022, Jolly became Australian Junior BMX Champion for the third consecutive time at the AusCycling BMX National Championships.

He also won eight gold medals, one silver and a bronze during the National Junior BMX Series en route to being crowned the AusCycling Junior BMX Rider of the Year.

The 17-year-old recently announced he would chase his professional dream overseas after signing with American-based factory team Remix BMX.

An illustrious career has reached another high with long-term athletics figure Lindsay Burgoyne taking home the Widmer Award as a coach who's excelled in the development and growth of sport and athletes in the Ballarat region.

Burgoyne has spent decades as an athletics coach and currently serves as the director of athletics for the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Previously, he spent 19 years as the director of athletics at Ballarat High School. He was a national youth events coach in javelin with Athletics Australia, and a throws coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport.

Fellow long-time stalwart David Poulton won the Mackenzie/Valpied Award recognising his self-sacrificing contribution to Ballarat sport.

Poulton currently serves as the secretary of the Sportsmen's Association Australia Ballarat branch and spent decades in various football administration roles with the North Ballarat Football Club and Skipton Football Netball Club.