Belgravia Leisure venues and team members have been celebrated with three prestigious award wins and four highly commended honours at the 50th annual 2026 Aquatics & Recreation Victoria (ARV) Industry Awards, a testament to their passion, professionalism and impact.
The results reflect the breadth of Belgravia Leisure’s work across health, fitness, aquatics, inclusion, sustainability and community connection.
Celebrating three major award wins
Health Club of the Year was taken out by Mill Park Leisure, recognised for a team driven by community wellbeing and striving to set the bar high for the health of those in the community. Mill Park Leisure was also highly commended for Facility of the Year, Large, marking a strong night of recognition for the venue and its team.
“Our health club’s commitment to creating a welcoming, high-quality experience for members is what drives our success within Mill Park and the broader City of Whittlesea community,” said Ryan Mifsud, Venue Manager at Mill Park Leisure.
Pictured in header left to right: Dave Antonello, Area Manager, Emilia Anastasio, Assistant Manager, Vanessa Jacob, Guest Experience Coordinator, Tianna Faraci, Marketing Coordinator, Marcus Napoleone, Guest Experience Officer
Swim Teacher of the Year (Persons with a Disability) went to Kylie Smiles from Yawa Aquatic Centre, whose recognition reflects a deeply inclusive and person-centric approach to teaching.
“We need to meet each person with expertise and care and do our best to deliver information in a way that enables success. Water is a great equaliser and a place of joy that all should have access to,” Kylie commented.
PT/Gym Instructor of the Year went to Ben Leslie from WaterMarc. “Ben’s award recognises his positive impact on both members and team culture”, said Renee Asciak, Venue Manager.
“Ben has been an outstanding asset to the WaterMarc team and community. We are so proud to see his hard work and contribution recognised.”
Green Road Program recognised for sustainability leadership
Belgravia Leisure’s Green Road Program was also highly commended in the Sustainability Award category, recognising the organisation’s ongoing commitment to embedding practical sustainability initiatives across its venues.
Reflecting on the Green Road Program recognition, Alexia Morgan, General Manager Environment and Sustainability shared: “The Green Road Program, Belgravia Sustainability’s ground-breaking sustainability initiative, helps venues enhance customer experience and drive stronger operational performance and efficiency.
“This achievement reflects the commitment of our Green Team representatives across every venue and the impact of the work they deliver every day.”
Highly commended honours across the network
The highly commended honours included Belgravia Leisure’s Green Road Program in the Sustainability Award category, Lisa Westlake from Yawa Aquatic Centre for Group Exercise Instructor, Dawud Tuckwell from Ascot Vale Leisure Centre for Swim Teacher, and Mill Park Leisure for Facility of the Year, Large.
Sue Smith, Health Club Manager at Yawa said: “Lisa has over 30 years of experience in the group fitness industry and runs seminars on various topics throughout the year. Her inclusive, community minded approach makes her well deserving of this award.”
“I was totally lost for words and humbled when I received this recognition from Aquatics and Recreation Victoria”, said Dawud Tuckwell, Swim Teacher at Ascot Vale. “It’s a reflection of the years I have been teaching and the high level of passion I have for what I do.”
Congratulations to each of the finalists and winners across the industry who together, are helping create healthier, more connected communities.
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