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Nova Peris-Kneebone is the first aboriginal athlete to win an Olympic Gold Medal. She is also and accomplished artist "Dreamtime" paintings and designs around the globe.
In addition to her Olympic Gold Medal Nova has also designed two commemorative coins for the Olympics with one of the coins winning 2nd prize at the 1998 World Coin Fair. She has also released a set of three commemorative Olympic pins.
A mother at 19 years old, Nova won the Young Australian of the Year award in 1997 recognition of her achievements throughout her career, culminating in her gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics with the Australian women's hockey team.
Nova's efforts have inspired Australians around the country. She says that her achievements have been born out of solid hard work and pure determination.
Not content to rest on her Hockeyroo laurels, Nova in 1997 transferred her thoughts to becoming a dual international athlete. As a youngster she won just about all Little Athletics events she contested in Darwin (Northern Territory).
Running was second nature to Nova, so she decided to fine tune her training and throw herself into sprinting. She became the first Australian track and field athlete to win international gold medals in two different sports when she claimed the 200m title at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
She also ran a superb third leg to claim gold in the 4x100m. Stepped up to 400m during 2000 and confirmed her amazing versatility by gaining Olympic 'A' Qualifing standards in the 100m, 200m and 400m events. Victory in the 400m at the Telstra Olympic Trials confirmed Nova's place on the 2000 Australian Olympic team.
At the Olympics Nova set a 400m personal best of 51.28s in the quarter-final making it through to the semi-final where she placed eighth.
Based in: ACT