Mr Miles Stewart OAM

It is a wonderful effort for anyone in sport to get to the top of their world tree. But to stay there for almost 20 years ... that's another thing. And that's Miles Stewart.

He was a commanding force in triathlon from his big-time debut at 15 in 1986 until retirement in 2005, matching it with the very best in a sport which has grown massively in extra quick time. 

He was fourth in the first world championships in France in 1989, and became the sport's youngest world champion at 20 when he charged from third place in the final 150m sprint in front of a raucous home crowd on the Gold Coast in 1991. 

He won the world indoor title in 1994, was World Cup series champion in 1996, led the Australian team home when triathlon made its Olympic debut in Sydney in 2000, finishing sixth overall, and won a silver at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, three seconds behind the winner in a race that lasted almost two hours. 

A member of the Australian team for 16 consecutive years, he set two world records, won eight World Cup events, and is listed in the World Guinness Book of Records.

In September 2017 he was inducted into the International Triathlon Hall of Fame after similar recognition at Gold Coast, Queensland and Australian level.

All that after an apprenticeship in which he Australian titles in six sports - swimming, speed skating, duathlon, aquathon, cycling and triathlong - and represented Australia in schoolboy rugby league.