Honorary Senior Fellow (September 2019)
Sharon Hill was named an Honorary Senior Fellow in September 2019 in recognition of her voluntary commitment to the wheelchair basketball community and for creating opportunities for local people with disabilities to play sports and find employment.
Sharon Hill, through her voluntary involvement with the Suncoast Spinners Wheelchair Basketball Club has elevated the principle of inclusive sport on the Sunshine Coast and at USC. Despite having no personal family experience of physical disability, Sharon has given tirelessly of her time and energy to triple the membership of this local club. This growth has been fuelled by two successful NOIA funding grants totalling more than $180 000, as well as numerous other smaller grants – all led by Sharon. Grant success has created opportunities for employment of local people with disabilities to coach local school children to play wheelchair basketball, irrespective of their ability or disability.
The Sunshine Coast is now a leader in Reverse Integration in wheelchair basketball. This is exemplified every year on the Sunshine Coast at the largest wheelchair basketball tournament in Australia, which Sharon has been involved in organising from 2015 to 2019. Her vision mirrors the vision of USC and has already seen reverse integration through wheelchair basketball spread to Hervey Bay in the North and Morayfield In the South.
In recognition of significant endeavour and outstanding service to the community, Sharon Hill is a worthy recipient of the honorary award of Senior Fellow of the University of the Sunshine Coast.