Australian squash great Sarah Fitz-Gerald has joined some of the world’s most illustrious sportsmen and women with her induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Fitz-Gerald was inducted as part of the 2010 intake at a gala dinner in Melbourne on Wednesday night.

She now sits proudly alongside Australian sporting icons such as Sir Donald Bradman, Dawn Fraser and Herb Elliott in the Hall of Fame and joins fellow squash players Heather McKay, Geoff Hunt, Vicki Cardwell and Michelle Martin as members.

Fitz-Gerald and Martin’s women’s squash team, also featuring Liz Irving and Carol Owens, was inducted in the team’s section in 2008.

“It’s great credit to her to be recognised by her peers in this way,” Sport Australia chief executive officer Bob Lay said.

“She’s such a fantastic person – it’s great to now have her as a member.”

Fitz-Gerald is recognised as one of the greatest women’s squash player of all time. She won the World Junior Championship in 1987, before bursting onto the senior tour to win 65 main tour titles as well as five World Team Championship titles, World Cup gold medals and the 2002 Commonwealth Games gold medal.

ACHIEVEMENTS:

Winner of 65 WISPA and World Tour titles from 94 finals appearances

• Five-time World Open Squash Champion (1996, 97, 98, 01, 02)
• Twice British Open Champion (2001, 02)
• Australian Open Champion (1997, 2001, 02, 03)
• World ranked No.1 (1996-98, 2001-03)
• World Cup Gold Medallist (1997)
• Five-time World Teams Champion (1992, 94, 96, 98, 02)
• World Junior Champion (1987)
• Represented Australia on 75 occasions
• Commonwealth Games Gold Medallist – Individual (2002)
• Commonwealth Games Silver Medallist – Individual (1998)
• Commonwealth Games Bronze Medallist – Doubles (1998)

MAJOR AWARDS:

• Dawn Fraser Award Winner (2001)
   defeating Lleyton Hewitt and Ian Thorpe
• Australian Female Athlete of the Year (2001)
• VIS Athlete of the Year (1998, 2002)
• Australian Junior Female Athlete of the Year (1987)
• Australia Junior Female Team of the Year (1985)
• Victorian Sportswoman of the Year (2002)
• Victorian Sportsperson of the Year (2002)
• Order of Australia (AM) (2004)
• Squash Australia Hall of Fame (2005)