Speedway stalwart Kevin Theyer wins Mike Stidwell Medal as National Volunteer Week kicks off in Albany

Kevin Theyer, a doyen of Albany Speedway Club, was awarded the prestigious 2024 Mike Stidwell Medal at a presentation to mark the start of National Volunteer Week on Monday night.
Theyer joins a long list of outstanding volunteer sports administrators from across the Great Southern recognised by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
A former president of the speedway club, Theyer said he was humbled by the honour.
'I'm living the dream, it's all good, but one person doesn't take home an award in a volunteer situation,' he said.
'The whole club has supported me and supported the vision because having a vision and making it work are two different things.'
He was instrumental in securing funding for the Atwell Park track and has volunteered for 30 years in various capacities for the club, Speedway WA and Speedway Australia.
Theyer stood down as club president in 2022 but is still on the grants committee, preferring to be a follower, rather than a leader but said the club is in good hands.
The achievement of which he is most proud was the development of Atwell Park Speedway.
'It's the best track outside Perth and we should bear in mind that the Perth Motorplex is a government facility,' Theyer said.
'Our Albany track was achieved entirely by volunteers and that's a major achievement.'
At no point along his speedway journey did Theyer, a former competitor, get frustrated or overwhelmed.
'It has been a joy the whole time,' he said.
'We always had a great relationship with government and the City of Albany have been so supportive.
'We talk to them about everything we do.
'We are a country town and in country towns the sports clubs hold everything together.
'Mike Stidwell was a big figure in this community and was passionate about his job, so it has been an honour to be awarded the medal in his name.'
Other nominees for the Mike Stidwell Medal were Rebecca Gleeson (Albany Little Athletics), Silke Fischer Malpass (Albany Swimming Club), Samantha Stevens (Friends of the Stidwell Bridle Trail), Kelly Holzknecht (Katanning Netball Association), Paul O'Donnell (Albany Mountain Bike Club), Sam Keenan (Denmark-Walpole Football Club), Natalie Jarvis (Albany Roller Derby Club) and Nicola Harris (Great Southern Soccer Association).
In the evening's other major presentation, Rosemary Wolter received the 2025 service to sport award in recognition of her dedication and longstanding contribution to netball.
She has been the Albany Netball Association's development officer for the last decade but her involvement in the sport in the Great Southern started 25 years ago.
'We moved to Denmark 25 years ago and I vowed I wasn't going to get involved because I had been heavily involved in sport where I lived previously,' she said.
'But within 12 months I was back in it again,' she said.
As well as netball, she was also a driving force behind the development of eight tennis courts in Denmark.
The fifth recipient of the award, she said she was overwhelmed and thanked her association's executive committee for 'making my role a pleasure'.
State volunteering minister Hannah Beazley thanked all the hardworking volunteers.
'Volunteers are the heart and soul of our regional communities, their contributions are truly inspiring,' she said.
Monday night's event was held at the Albany Entertainment Centre.

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