Ann Tamigi Memorial Trophy

Ann and Frank Tamigi raised their two sons in country WA until the boys were just short of highschool. Life was simpler in the country, with Ann not having to work and Frank home by 5pm every day to spend time as a family. But shortly after moving back to Perth, Ann returned to the workforce with the goal of funding the boys private school education. She was determined that they would go to Trinity College because she had grown up nearby and had always been impressed by the young men leaving school dressed in their uniforms and wanted that for her sons.

In the lead up to attending Trinity, Ann suggested Joseph do rowing when he got there. But as he had played basketball and footy his whole childhood like most country kids, he refused. Each summer Ann would again suggest, 'Why don't you try rowing?', you would be good at it. She never pressured him, just kept suggesting, year after year. Until finally in the summer of year 11, Joseph relented and gave it a try knowing that it would make his mum proud. He loved it.

The early drop offs, volunteering before work to cook the rowers breakfast, it all made her happy rather than frustrated and 15 months later as he won the schools second-ever Head of the River, she was his loudest supporter on the riverbank.

Over the next 9 years she continued to work and support his goals of coaching winning crews, but sadly she never witnessed Joseph coach the record-setting Trinity crew in 2010 or his multiple Australian Teams as she passed of cancer in 2008.

The only reason Joseph got into rowing and has coached thousands of rowers for over 22 years, including to the World Championships, is because of his mum Ann Tamigi.  Which is why this trophy is named in her honour.