Tessa Parkinson OAM (2003)

Tessa grew up in Perth sailing in the ocean off Fremantle with a dream to represent Australia at the Olympic Games. Today she is an Olympic sailing hero, winning Gold for Australia in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. 

Tessa teamed up with sailing partner, Elise Rechichi and in their first year of sailing together they won four World Championship titles. Tessa’s other career highlights include being named among Western Australia’s 2008 Athletes of the Year, and previously winner of Young Australian Team of the Year in 2004. On Australia Day 2009 Tessa was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division citing “For service to sport as a Gold Medallist at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games”. Tessa subsequently retired from racing and graduated from Curtin University with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy.