Bairnsdale Tennis club identity Luke Missen has been nominated for the 2024 Vic Tennis Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability award.
The category has four finalists, with the winner to be announced at the Tennis Victoria Players Awards at the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club on Sunday, October 20.
Missen is joined among the finalists by Caroline Lane, Finn Broadbent and Tyler McPherson.
The award recognises outstanding athletes with a disability who have a record playing for Australia or Victoria and have improved their ranking or sustained a top 20 ranking during the nomination period.
The athletes also must display a commendable attitude on and off the court and have complied with all rules and conducts set by Tennis Australia.
Missen continues to excel at Para-Standing Tennis and earlier in the year won the PST-4 category in the Oceania Para-Standing Tennis Championships.
Para-Standing Tennis is for people with physical disabilities who want to play tennis without using a wheelchair.
Missen has a strong sporting background in soccer, badminton and basketball and has quickly showed his strength on the tennis court, as well as being a Tennis Australia trainee coach member.
His tennis career began at the Nambrok Tennis Club more than 22 years ago, the award nomination a culmination of many years of hard work and the consistent track record of involvement by Missen in tennis at a local and state level.
“It is an honour and a privilege to be nominated for the award,” Missen said.
Missen’s enthusiasm for tennis, and in general sports activity, has made him a great ambassador for both the region and the game of tennis.
In recent times Missen has turned his hand to tennis after dedicating the past 10 years to badminton where his travels saw him play in England, South Korea, Dubai, Thailand, Switzerland and the capital cities of Australia.
This year has seen Missen compete at state level and in the first para standing tennis world championships in Italy.
Luke said unfortunately his tennis and his travels are all self-funded but he is a young man passionate about tennis and says one of his main priorities is to encourage everyone from any walk of life and skill level to pick up a racket and get out onto the court and mix with people.
“You don’t have to be a champion to be out on the court enjoying this great game,” Missen said.
With more competition tennis in Sydney and Brisbane soon, Missen has local tennis coach Gavin McCoy engaged on his game.
“Luke is a great student of the game and he wished all his students were as enthusiastic as Luke,” McCoy said.
Now focused on tennis, Missen is likely to go overseas next year to compete in para standing tennis tournaments.
