THURGOONA Primary School sports star Olivia Barber has been recognised as the best in the Riverina after winning the prestigious Bernie O’Connor award last weekend.
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The 176-centimetre Thurgoona public school student, 12, this year represented NSW in netball and basketball.
She became just the second Border sportsperson to take out the award, which was started 23 years ago in honour of the man who mentored Australian Test cricketers Geoff Lawson, Michael Slater and Mark Taylor before dying from cancer at just 41.
Dad Graeme Barber said his daughter was in shock.
“It was a three-hour dinner and they went through all the awards and Olivia was just happy to be there,” he said.
“We were just looking at the program when they read out her name as the winner.
“Neither of us, including her mum, could really believe it.”
Mr Barber said her daughter would continue to juggle her sporting loves.
“She has made the Lavington under-16 team in the O and M netball so she is pretty excited about that at the moment,” he said.