Kyira Cox OAM
Kyira Cox OAM has had an incredible impact in the softball world and is blazing a trail for younger umpires and administrators.
She is the national umpire-in-chief, as well as a coach and a scorer at Softball Australia; she has held positions in Softball NSW and the Sutherland Shire Softball Association; and has even umpired international matches – including the gold medal match at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. This was the first time an Australian had ever been in this position.
For her work, she was awarded the medal of the Order of Australia for her service to softball.
“I think there’s multiple different approaches to this award and what impact it will have for me personally. It’s recognition of what I’ve already done, but it also gives me that drive to continue ... and potentially try to strive for a little more,” she says.
Ms Cox is no stranger to awards for her service to softball, after being awarded Umpire of the Year twice by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, and six more times by Softball Australia and Softball NSW altogether. She has also represented New South Wales, helping her team win two national titles.
She also previously worked as a project officer and strategic research adviser at the Australian Institute of Sport.
The recognition she received won’t just have a positive impact on her life, but the lives of younger women and umpires broadly, she explains.
“Generally speaking, our demographic for age of umpires is in the 50s and 60s, so for someone to achieve what I have at a young age – I’ve still got a lot to give to the sport,” she says.
“I’m hoping this award allows me to bring a few more young umpires and administrators through to put some longevity into the sport.”
Ms Cox encourages everyone to nominate a worthy person they know, to remind the nominee of the extent of their achievements.
“Don’t hesitate in nominating people because once you start to write people’s achievements down, the list actually tends to be a lot longer than they realise.”