Pearse will make his return to the region for the local sporting scene’s night of nights on Monday, February 27 at the Moama Bowling Club to discuss his remarkable rise to Australian swimming stardom.
The 19-year-old has been a constant feature in Sportstar, becoming just the fourth three-time winner in the award’s 35-year history with the 2021 senior gong.
Pearse picked up his first award in 2016 after starring at regional and state swimming events, working his way up the chain to earn a place on the Australian para-swimming team in 2019.
Earning a bronze medal at his debut World Paraswimming Championships that year saw Pearse anointed the junior Sportstar once again, but his exploits in the green and gold had only just begun.
A spot on the Tokyo Paralympics squad in 2021 followed, and Pearse’s career in the pool reached new heights after winning the bronze medal in the 100m butterfly.
The shade of medal turned to gold at the Commonwealth Games in August last year, Pearse victorious in the butterfly to claim his first international gold medal.
For his efforts, Pearse claimed his third Sportstar gong, this time of the senior variety.
Now based in Melbourne, Pearse has his eyes set on the 2023 World Paraswimming Championships in the United Kingdom in August, as well as the 2024 Paris Paralympics.
From utilising the dam on the family dairy farm as a training pool during COVID-19 lockdowns to the heights of the Paralympic stage, Pearse has a unique story to tell, one with many chapters still to be written.
The Sportstar awards, first held in 1987, recognise exemplary sportspeople and their achievements.
Nominees are identified every month, and the 2022 winners in the senior, junior, spirit of sport, coach and club categories will be announced.
Tickets to the night are available from $45 through www.trybooking.com
Formalities commence at 6.30pm on Monday, February 27 at the Moama Bowling Club. The dress code is semi-formal.
