Two Olympic medalists  South Africa’s most capped athlete, its most celebrated Paralympian, and a Pole Fitness Champion have made the cut for the 2012 SPAR gsport Awards, after more than 100 nominations were received across the various categories in a month-long public nominations process.

“The list of nominees is unbelievable. I am really excited to see who’s going to win,” said Belinda Nel, SPAR Sponsorship Manager. “It will be really difficult to choose because athletes from different fields have done very well. The nominees are very strong across the board.”

gsport4girls Founder, Kass Naidoo, was equally impressed, “The decision to appoint top quality Ambassadors to drive the search for public nominations has been vindicated by the quality of the nominees forwarded to gsport.

“With free public voting due to start at the gsport website on Wednesday, friends, fans and family of the 2012 SPAR gsport Awards finalists are urged to organise wide support for their candidates, to give them every chance of being honoured this year.”

The list was trimmed to top three nominees per category by the Awards judges, world leader in Visual Performance Dr. Sherylle Calder, veteran sports journalist Jane Bramley, eighties netball phenomenon Hazel Gumede and businesswoman and socialite Uyanda Mbuli.

2012 SPAR gsport Awards Finalists:

SPAR Athlete of the Year

Bridgitte Hartley
Marsha Marescia
Caster Semenya

Athlete of the Year with Disability

Ilse Carstens
Natalie du Toit
Kgothatso Montjane

Up and Coming Athlete of the Year

Tasnim Amra
Thato Makhafola
Lauren Varty

Coach of the Year

Elize Kotze
Yashin Ebrahim
Joseph Mkhonza

Woman in Media

Natalie Germanos
Tarryn Steenekamp
Carol Tshabalala

Style Star of the Year

LeAnne Dlamini
Lalla Hirayama
Jo-Ann Strauss

Woman of the Year

Venessa Clack
Natalie du Toit
Sue Pather

Volunteer of the Year

Anela Mahamba
Faiek Cassiem
Anelda Swart

Public voting at the gsport website is open from the 7th to 17^th of November.

The winner in each voting category will be unveiled at the annual Awards ceremony, to be held at the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg, on 20 November, 2012.