Simone Grounds has always loved sport, and on Friday her dedication to multiple athletic pursuits was recognised when she was announced as Dubbo’s Sportsperson of the Year.
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After playing hockey, Grounds ventured into triahtlons but has found her calling in cycling, whether it be on the track, the road or through the rocky mountain trails.
With two young children and a full-time job, she heaped praise on her husband for allowing her the time to train and compete.
“Both my husband I work full-time so we really squeeze the best out of life. It’s not easy but it’s often worth it,” she said.
“It’s hard to put into words all the effort and daily grind, and yearly goals you set. There’s so much emotion and effort that goes into playing sport at a high level.
“It’s very humbling to be chosen as a representative of the sporting community.
“There’s so much talent and so many great people that contribute to sport in Dubbo, it means a great deal to win this award and be acknowledged as a contributor to the community.”
As well as competing, Grounds also spends time training other members of Dubbo Cycle Club and is a member of the club’s committee.
It is that all-round dedication to the sport and its people that led the Australia Day committee to give her the award.
While living in Queensland, she spent time competing in Brisbane and also inBundaberg and after a hiatus from the sport in 2011, she returned in 2012 to claim a gold, silver and bronze medal at the Masters Championships.
That kickstarted her, and her desire to succeed and drive to push herself led to the point where last year she won the “holy trifecta” of the individual time trial, road race and criterium at the National Titles.
As a result of these successes she was then crowned the champion of champions at the carnival.
The move back to Dubbo has not only seen Grounds become a better cyclist but also encouraged her to help others achieve their own similar goals.
“I lived in Brisbane for years before I moved back, and I’ve been involved in other sports, but the Dubbo Cycle Club and also the MTB Club are some of the best clubs I’ve been with,” she said.
“Everyone is so supportive and encouraging. There’s people that are just so motivated and dedicated to the sport and just to improving themselves.
“It’s not always about winning medals but they’ll be the best versions of themselves that they can be, so it’s really inspiring to be surrounded by those people.”
Grounds’ selection as Sportsperson of the Year capped a big ceremony for the Dubbo Cycle Club after outstanding junior Kurt Eather had earlier been named as the junior winner of the same award.
