Eagles Angels Profiles

Sarah Murdoch
International Super Model

World renowned Super Model Sarah Murdoch is a co-founder of the Eagles Angles.

Sarah studied ballet as a child and started modeling at age 17 in Sydney, Australia before becoming a world wide modeling sensation.

With her natural Aussie beauty Sarah was appointed the face of Bonds Australia. Sarah is the clubs second link to this great brand as the original Chesty Bond character was designed on the former Manly great Max Whitehead.

Sarah is an avid fan of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and has fond recollections as a child sliding down the back of the Brookie Hill on cardboard.

Wendy Harmer
Comedian
www.wendyharmer.com

Wendy Harmer is one of Australia’s best known humourists.
 She is a veteran of the Edinburgh, Montreal and Glasgow-Mayfest Festivals and has worked extensively in London, America and Ireland, appearing at the Edinburgh Festival five times. In 1990, her one-woman show LOVE GONE WRONG received a “Pick Of The Fringe“ award and subsequently transferred to London. Wendy began her career in radio on the ABC’s Radio National with her own drive time programme.

In 1993 she joined Sydney radio station 2 Day FM to lead the Breakfast Show team. During the 11 years she hosted this program it was rated number one in 84 out of 88 surveys. Wendy hosted the ABC TV series THE BIG GIG, co-starred in the critically acclaimed WORLD SERIES DEBATES with Andrew Denton in 1993/94. In 1990 she had her own TV chat show IN HARMER’S WAY and hosted the Logie Awards in 2002.

After leaving 2 Day FM Wendy wrote FAREWELL MY OVARIES, her first novel. Wendy has since published another novel LOVE and PUNISHMENT and her latest THREE FOR THE ROAD will be out in time for Mother’s Day 2009. Wendy is the author of the massively best-selling children’s series PEARLIE IN THE PARK. This series is an amazing success story – the 10 books are now published in a dozen languages (including Hebrew and Indonesian) and will appear as an animated series very soon on Channel 10 and Nickelodeon.

Wendy’s charity work is her other passion in life. She is the patron of Interplast and also a member of the Federal Govt. National People with a Disability and Carers Council. Wendy was the subject of the first ABC AUSTRALIAN STORY to be aired in 2005. The programme won its time slot in three states including NSW.
 Wendy continues to work with the ABC - most recently with her documentary STUFF and the IS IT JUST ME? podcasts with radio legend Angela Catterns.

Wendy is married to Brendan, a committed environmentalist, surfer, Manly fan and house-husband and has two children aged 8 and 10.

Kerri Pottharst
Beach Volleyball Olympic Gold Medalist
www.kerripottharst.com

Kerri Pottharst is without question, one of Australia's most popular female sporting personalities. She is also Australia's most decorated Indoor and Beach Volleyball player, having represented her country for an incredible 22 years!

"I was simply given an opportunity, set myself goals, worked hard and most importantly, I loved every minute of it!"

Kerri also remains the only Australian woman to have played professionally in the world's most prestigious A1 Italian Indoor Volleyball league.

In 1992 a sickening knee injury should have ended her career, but in her typical no-nonsense style she recovered late in 1993, changed her goals to Beach Volleyball and then went on to compete in 3 Olympics and win two Olympic medals.

One of those was Bronze at the Atlanta Olympics and then the Gold that everybody remembers so well, at Bondi Beach during the Sydney 2000 Games.

Since 1994, Kerri has never been out of the top 10 and rarely out of the top six in International Beach Volleyball events.

She is renowned for being one of the fiercest competitors in the world of Volleyball. She is an inspiration to her peers in sport and to others in their business, school and personal lives.

Kerri's vision is to continue to inspire and motivate through her warm and personal Keynote Presentations and her fun, team-building Corporate Days on the beach, beach2xl.

Layne Beachley
7 Time World Surfing Champion
www.laynebeachley.com

Seven-time ASP Women's World Champion. What more does one need to say? How about the most winning-est female professional surfer of all time? Better still, how about the surfer with the greatest number of consecutive World Championship victories, male or female?!

Layne Beachley is one of Australia’s greatest athlete’s.

As a 17 year old, Layne made her debut on the ASP Women’s World Tour in 1989 and by the time she was 20, she was ranked number 6 in the world. At this point in her career, Layne embarked upon a physical training regime that would set her apart from every other female competitor of the last two decades.

Winning her first event in 1993, Layne’s fierce commitment to success came at a price. In 1993 and 1996, she faced the mental, physical and emotional challenges of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also leading to depression. The mental toughness required to overcome such adversity became the foundation from which a World Champion was made.

In 1998, Layne’s determination and focus paid off and she achieved the first of 6 consecutive world titles. A rare feat in any sport, Layne’s domination of women’s surfing has earned her a place in sporting history. Having won an unprecedented seventh world title, Layne continues to lead the way in women’s surfing as she competes in her 19th year on the tour.

Layne’s competitive drive is now present both in and out of the water. With the launch of the Beachley Athletic brand for women (www.beachleyathletic.com.au), Layne is a budding entrepreneur; willing to learn and dedicated to success. In 2006, Layne staged the richest event in women’s surfing history; the Havaianas Beachley Classic at Manly Beach, Sydney. A huge success, the event has the NSW Government’s support for a further two years.

Media savvy and ever entertaining, Layne is regularly sought by the media for her quick wit and insight. Her unswerving commitment to the betterment of women’s surfing has also been felt by the ASP, pro surfings governing body. As the lone female board member for several years, Layne is committed to ensuring that women’s surfing prospers under her watchful eye. In addition to her surfing and business commitments, Layne created the Aim for the Stars Foundation in 2003 to support and promote the academic, sporting, community and cultural dreams of young women across Australia (http://www.aimforthestars.com.au/).

With a thirst for personal and professional happiness, Layne Beachley exemplifies that there are neither limitations nor boundaries to achieving goals and great success.

AWARDS OF NOTE:
7 Times World Champion 1998-2003, 2006
3 Times NSW Sports Person of the Year 2000, 2002, 2003
Australian Female Athlete of the Year 2003
Laureus World Alternative Sportsperson 2004
Surfing Hall Of Fame Inductee 2006
USA Surfers’ Hall Of Fame Inductee 2006
USA Surfers’ Walk Of Fame Inductee 2006

Shelley Taylor-Smith
7 Time World Marathon Swimming Champion
www.championmindset.com.au

Shelley Taylor-Smith is one of the greatest athletes in the world. She has rewritten the record books, and has set new standards in marathon swimming with her record seven consecutive world titles - a feat that has never been repeated.

From 1984 to 1997, Shelley achieved consecutive victories against the best men in the sport worldwide and in 1991 gained the No.1 World Ranking in Marathon Swimming for both men & women - the first time this had ever been achieved by woman - and to date the last!

As a young girl Shelley had a dream - to be like her role model Shane Gould and win a gold medal. Despite most of her school years in a back brace and spending three months in traction with partial paralysis when only 23 years old, Shelley never let go of her dream.

Shelley took up marathon swimming because it didn't require her to make those back bending tumble turns and has since achieved what no other woman has in sport.

In 1998 Shelley was told she had six months to live. While swimming in polluted water she had picked up deadly parasites and giardia. The infections had manifested as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and she was warned that if she continued to push herself her system would completely fail and she would die. Six months later Shelley won the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim for a record fifth time and only then did she decide to retire from representing Australia.

Shelley's 'winner's attitude' and her motto: "If you don't quit - you will make it" translates into her everyday life and now she empowers others by sharing with them her greatest asset - The Champion Mindset - training our leaders of tomorrow to think and be Champions today!

Shelley is as dedicated out of the water as she is in it. Her charity work includes: Vice Patron of Life Education NSW and her 2 favourite youth charities - the Humpty Dumpty Foundation and Youth Off the Streets - to which she donates ALL profits from sales of her books.

Shelley Oates-Wilding
Olympic Kyaker
www.shelleyoateswilding.com

Shelley was one of Australia’s top sportswomen representing our country in 4 sports. Track and Field, Netball, Surf Life Saving and Kayaking.

She has won the World Championships in Surf Ski and Outrigger and placed 4th in the World in Kayaking.

After competing in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games Shelley has been focusing on her family and helping others believe in their dreams, to plan and make them a reality.

Shelley and husband Guy have two young children and have been living at the 1996 Olympic Site in Atlanta and working as a coaching team at the club and national level.

Shelley has also been expanding her motivational speaking in the USA focusing on helping others find, plan and realize their passion.

At 40 years young she now plans to return home to the Northern Beaches to live her continuing burning desire to medal at the Olympic Games and help others enjoy the feeling of loving what they are doing on a daily basis.

Zali Steggall
Australia's First Winter Olympics Medalist
Slalom Gold Medalist 1999 World Skiing Championships.

Australia's most successful international skier, Zali Steggall became the first alpine Word Champion in the Southern Hemisphere when she won gold in the women's slalom event at the 1999 World Skiing Championships.

The twenty six year old was hailed as a national sporting hero when she won Australia's first Olympic medial at the 1998 Nagano Olympic Games. A World Champion the following year catapulted her to international sporting star status.

Zalis' sporting achievements demonstrate her incredible tenacity and her amazing mental and physical endurance against a highly competitive international field. A talented sportswoman, she also speaks fluent France ad proficient German.

Zali has been Australia's leading female alpine skier for the past decade. In November 1997, she became the first Australian woman to win a World Cup alpine event, defeating the word's best slalom skiers in Park City, USA.

Zali is a four time Olympian, having first represented her country in the 1992 Albertville Games at the age of 17, followed by the 1994 Lillehammer Games and of course her bronze medal winning performance at the 1998 Nagano Games.

Having attained the crown of World Champion and tasted Olympic success. Zali announced her retirement from international competition at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Zali became a mother for the first time in 2003 and leaves skiing to enjoy her first Sydney summer in more that a decade, with her place among the great of Australian sport complete. Zali recently had her second child in January 2006, currently finishing a law degree and lives with her husband David on the Northern Beaches.

Tracey Spicer
Journalist
www.spicercommunications.biz

Respected newsreader, journalist and mum Tracey Spicer believes she might finally have found that elusive work-life balance.

As editor of the family travel magazine Out & About With Kids she is forging a new career, while spending time with her precious little ones, three year old Taj and two year old Grace.

The 40 year old is also an international anchor with SKY News, columnist with the Daily Telegraph, MC, keynote speaker, media trainer, presentation trainer and radio broadcaster.

Renowned for her integrity, sharp mind and calm manner, Tracey presented Network Ten’s national weekend news and mid-week 11am news for ten years.

But Tracey has always been, first and foremost, a journalist.

Among the highlights of her career, Tracey counts two documentaries on the work of World Vision in Bangladesh and Kenya.

Then, in 2001, she travelled to Papua New Guinea to research, write and produce a documentary for WWF on the dearth of fresh water sources in villages devastated by deforestation.

The following year, Tracey produced a half hour fly-on-the-wall doco on one of Australia’s most powerful figures: radio personality Alan Jones.

It's a dream career for the Brisbane schoolgirl with a passion for news and current affairs.

Graduating dux of her senior year at high school, Tracey completed a Bachelor of Business - Communications degree at QUT, winning a radio scholarship.

She cut her teeth at Macquarie National News station 4BH, before being promoted to the job of Chief Police Reporter and Breakfast News Editor at Melbourne news/talk station 3AW.

A stint in country Victoria followed, as court and industrial reporter for Southern Cross Television.
Tracey was then poached by Channel 9 Melbourne, reporting on current affairs show Melbourne Extra and National Nine News.

An offer to do backup news reading and reporting at Channel 10 Melbourne followed, before the “big break”: co-presenting the First At Five News in Brisbane.

In 1995, Tracey was again promoted, moving to Sydney to anchor the national weekend news, while reporting three days a week.

Four years later, Ten’s Morning News added another string to her bow.
Tracey was controversially sacked just after returning from two months maternity leave, sparking a nationwide debate about discrimination against women in the workplace.

In recent years, Tracey has hosted mornings on radio station VEGA FM, appeared as a regular panelist on the irreverent “Slather & Wack” and filled in on 702 ABC Sydney.

She is in high demand as an after dinner speaker and MC, hosting hundreds of corporate functions including the Ronald McDonald Ball, World Vision’s prestigious International Women’s Day dinner and WWF’s VIP event for Earth Hour. Her popular keynote speaking topics include Fat, Forty & Fired, and Balls in the Air, about the search for that elusive work-life balance.

Tracey is an Ambassador for World Vision, WWF, the Royal Hospital for Women’s Newborn Care Centre and the Penguin Foundation, Patron of the NSW Cancer Council and The National Premmie Foundation, and the face of the Garvan Institute's research into pancreatic cancer, which killed her beloved mother Marcia 8 years ago.

Her greatest love is family. Tracey and husband Jason have two beautiful children, three year old Taj and two year old Grace.

Tracey believes in the old adage that life begins at 40!

Nici Andronicus
Modern Pentathlon Australian Champion
International Triathlon World #2

During ten years as an Australian triathlon and pentathlon representative, Nici Andronicus competed at ten World Championships and more than ninety international events.

Beginning her international career in the diverse sport of Modern Pentathlon, a sport that incorporates shooting, swimming, fencing, show jumping and running, Nici won three Australian titles and as a young athlete achieved top ten results at World Championship level. While a part of the Olympic programme for a century, female Modern Pentathletes were not invited to compete at the important Games.

In 1995 Nici switched to track running in search of an opportunity to compete at the Olympic Games. It wasn’t long before she was drawn back to multisports and began racing in triathlon, a sport that combines swimming, cycling and running.
Triathlon perhaps delivered her greatest sporting achievements, including International Triathlon Union Rookie of the Year in 1996, nine months after her first ever triathlon and with a World Ranking of #4, a career high World Ranking #2 in 1997 and various international successes.

Injury prevented any hope of competing at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, though she was a commentator for the Triathlon event on the opening two days of the Games. Her involvement in triathlon continued when she was appointed as the Account Director of Media & Marketing by Sportsworld Media Group in London, for the International Triathlon Union.

While her sporting results were always important, Nici’s commitment to junior sports development and promotion of a healthy and active lifestyle was always a priority. She was a spokesperson for various charities and community initiatives, including SOCOG as an official Ambassador of the Sydney Olympic Games.

Naomi Flood
Iron Woman

Major Career Achievements:-
2009 Iron woman Final Champion 2009 - Coogee Beach,
2007 Australian Ski Race Champion
2007 Australian Surf Life Saving team
2006 Australian Iron woman champion
2005 Australian Junior Iron woman champion
2005 Australian Surf Life Saving team
2004 World Board champion
2004 World Surf Race Champion

Naomi competes at Local, State, National and International events all year round. The Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironman Series is a five round series televised over eleven hours and broadcast nationally on the Channel 9 network throughout the summer, as well as the Australian Championships broadcast in April nationally.

Over the years competing, Naomi has built a strong relationship with media contacts which has made her a regular feature in local and national newspapers, magazines, television shows and radio networks.

Awards & Accolades

Represented Surf Life Saving Australia in:-
Carrying the 2004 Athens Olympic Torch on Bondi Beach
2006 and 2007 NSW Team Captain
Naomi Flood is an Iron woman and Investment Banker

Born in Sydney, Naomi grew up on the Northern Beaches where she excelled in a number of sports namely those involving water including swimming, surfing and surf lifesaving. A passion for the ocean and her affinity with the sand and surf witnessed her take to the waves as a nipper and never look back. ‘Floody’ came from obscurity in 2003 as a fresh faced 17-year-old when she took out the Australian junior board race title and incredibly finished fifth in the Open iron woman event. Three years and numerous State, Australian and World Championship gold medals later she reached the highlight of her short career in being crowned the 2006 Iron woman champion of Australia, the highest achievement in world lifesaving with an emphatic win at Kurrawa Beach on the Gold Coast.

A fierce competitor both in and out of the water, Flood has been described as one of the toughest female performers in Australian sport training mostly alongside male rivals at the famous Manly Life Saving Club on Sydney’s Northern Beaches and juggling her sporting aspirations with a promising career as an Investment Banker with St George. Not one to back down from a challenge, Naomi will be looking to continue her push for greater surf awareness and safety through the support of the Surf Life Saving School, a project aimed at teaching youngsters about the ocean in Awareness, Education, Special Needs and Holiday programs. In the competition arena Naomi is aiming to defend her iron woman title when the Australian Championships travel to Scarborough Beach, Western Australia in 2008 followed the World Iron woman title early August 2008 held in Germany.

Melissa Femia
Radio Presenter

For the past six years Melissa and her work has captured the attention the country having presented and produced numerous #1 countdown shows and music specials for Nova FM, including most recently “The Nova Top 10 with Jabba and Mel” and “The Official Motorola ARIA Chart Show”.

Melissa has been responsible for many exclusive interviews from legendary international rockers KISS to local rockers KISSCHASY. She's made headlines after examining Kelly Rowland’s fake breasts, “cooked” vegemite toast for Hollywood actor Jack Black and has even cast her spell upon Rock God Lenny Kravitz who helplessly proposed marriage to her. However nothing has compared to co-hosting with Manly Sea Eagle 2008 "Sexiest Man in League" Matt Ballin!! Melissa has now made the switch for 2009 and can be heard "gracing" the airwaves on 2Day FM.

Melinda Gainsford-Taylor
Commonwealth Games Silver Medalist
5 National Sprint Double Champion

One of the truly great runners of Australian athletics history, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor is the dual 100m and 200m National Record Holder.

She began running with Little Athletics in her home town of Narromine in Central Western NSW at the age of 9 where she was discovered by coach, Jackie Byrnes. To progress with her athletics, Mel moved to Sydney and went to boarding school at St. Vincent’s in Potts Point. Injuries plagued her early years in Sydney, but helped develop a steely determination that would later help stamp the young sprinter as the country’s premier female sprint star. With the constant support and belief of her coach, Melinda was ranked number 1 in the world at age 14 for the 100m.

She has come a long way since age 14. Among her athletic achievements;

Melinda is the only Australian athlete to win back-to-back National Sprint Double crowns. She has now won 5 National Double crowns (1992, 93, 95, 97, 98)

Melinda holds the fastest time ever by an Australian for the 100m and 200m, and holds the record for the fastest 100m ever run on Australian soil. Melinda is a 200m World Indoor Champion winning Gold at Barcelona in 1995, making her at the time, the first Australian since Betty Cuthbert to win a World Championship.

Melinda is a bronze and silver medallist at Commonwealth Games level. Melinda gained selection in her third Olympic team in 2000 and additionally, she was voted Vice Captain of the team by her peers.

Melinda Gainsford-Taylor represents a truly unique Australian talent. As popular with the media as she is with the greater public... In fact, so popular is this lovely lady, that she was named “Sports Personality of the Year” by the readers of the Daily Telegraph at the NSW Sports Awards held at Stadium Australia in March 2000.

She is the only current sports star to have a rose named after her, and has been featured in Who Weekly’s 25 Most Beautiful People.

Louise Sauvage
9 times Gold and 4 times Silver Paralympic Medalist
2 times Gold and 1 time Bronze Olympic Medalist

At the age of 16 Louise travelled to the International Paralympic Committee World Championships in Holland as a member of her first Australian Team.

She commenced her international career at these Games with a Gold medal and World Record in the 100m sprint event.

An international career was born and the world witnessed the making of one of the most successful Paralympic athletes of all times.

Louise has represented Australia at 4 Paralympic Games (Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney and Athens) winning a total of 9 Gold and 4 Silver medals. She competed at 3 Olympic Games (Atlanta, Sydney and Athens) winning 2 Gold and 1 Bronze in the 800m Women’s Wheelchair Demonstration Race.

She has won Commonwealth Games Silver in the 800m Womens Wheelchair Race and 5 consecutive Gold medals at the IAAF World Athletic Championships in the 800m Women’s Wheelchair Demonstration Race.

Following the 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games Louise launched her road racing career and competed worldwide in road races covering distances from 5 kilometres to the 42.195 kilometre Marathon. She has recorded victories in some of the world’s most prestigious road races including 4 Boston Marathon titles and 1st place honours in the Los Angeles, Honolulu and Berlin Marathons.

During her illustrious career Louise recorded World Records in every distance on the track from the 100m to the 5000m. She recorded her last World Record in August 2004 just one month prior to announcing her official retirement.

Louise departed the sporting arena just as she started 14 years before. She crossed the finish line in the 400m final at the Athens Paralympic Games in a personal best time – performing just as she did for all those years, true to herself and true to her country.

Debbie Watson
Water Polo Olympic Gold Medalist

Debbie Watson has been arguably the finest female water polo player that Australia has ever produced. Having become a member of our national team in 1983, Debbie’s career has spanned 17 years at the elite level.

Voted the best player in the world in 1993, Debbie has led Australia to a string of World Cup and World Championship victories.

In 1995, Debbie decided to retire from international competition having achieved all of her goals she had set. However, she continued to promote waterpolo for women and for its inclusion in the Olympic Games. In 1998, for the first time in history, women’s water polo was added to the Olympic program.

This inspired Debbie to return to the pool after a two-year absence. Not only did she return to the pool, regain her spot on the Australian team and selection for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, but she was instrumental in the golden result achieved by her team.

She is truly a remarkable athlete and her personality endears her to everyone she meets. Debbie is an accomplished speaker and motivator and she has appeared numerous times on television such as Roy and HG, A Current Affair, Sports World, Good Morning Australia, appeared as a celebrity contestant on Gladiators and as a commentator at the 1998 World Championships in Perth.

Debbie has captained Australia, been World and World Cup Champion and has now created history by becoming the first ever Women’s Olympic Waterpolo Champion. Debbie has also received nominations and awards, such as the Prime Ministerial award for her services to water polo, NSW Sports Women of the Year, NSW Sports Person of the year and Citizen of the Year.

Brooke Hanson
Olympic Gold & Silver Medalist
www.brookehanson.com

Brooke Hanson is one of Australia's most endearing athletes.

A “Water Baby” born and raised in Manly, Brooke received her Rugby League Education on Brookie Hill.

Since then Brooke has become one of Australia’s most successful and consistent performers on both a national and international stage as a member of the Telstra Dolphins Australian Swimming Team.

2004 saw Brooke reach the pinnacle of her career so far winning Gold and Silver at the Athens Olympics.

Brooke backed up the Olympics by winning six gold medals at the World Short Course Championships including a World Record as a part of the women's medley relay team.

Brooke has continued her swimming career with a Gold (Relay heat swimmer) and Bronze medals at the 2005 FINA World Championships and continues to strive for her athletic goals vying for selection for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Outside the pool Brooke is called on to inspire others Australia wide with her story at many public and corporate speaking appearances and continues to follow her beloved Manly Sea Eagles from her base in Melbourne.

Annie Sargeant
World Championship Winning Netball Captain
Awarded 'Sydney's Greatest Ever Netball Player'
www.annesargeant.com.au

Annie Sargeant represented Australian Netball for over a decade, captaining the Australian Netball Team for six years, participating in 3 World Championships, on 2 occasions winning Gold for Australia. Annie also represented NSW for 11 consecutive years, helping claim numerous National Titles for the Waratahs.

In 2004, Annie was named Sydney’s Greatest Ever Netballer after an outstanding career at the highest level.

Perhaps one of the greatest ambassadors for sport this country has known, Annie has continued to channel her many talents into sport and the media.

Annie's representations have included the Australian Sports Commission, the NSW Australia Day Council, Children's Week, Board Member - McDonald's, School Sport 2000 Committee and Patron of the 1994 Year of the Coach.

Her talents as a public speaker are second to none and resulted in Annie being awarded the 1992 Communicator of the Year Award by the Public Relations Institute of Australia.

Annie is however most proud to claim she is a Manly girl through and through, having played for Manly Warringah since age 9, rising through the junior and senior ranks to ultimately become Captain/Coach of Manly First Grade for many years. Today, amongst numerous other voluntary duties Anne is very proud to be the Patron of Manly Netball.