Gerry Ryan inducted into Sport Australia Hall of Fame

Long-time cycling philanthropist Gerry Ryan OAM has been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame for his contribution to sports administration.

At an announcement in Melbourne this morning, Ryan was named as a 2024 inductee alongside seven other new Hall of Fame members including surfing champion Mick Fanning, Olympic hurdler Sally Pearson, and motor sport driver Mark Skaife.

Hailing from Bendigo, Ryan is a leading businessman and administrator who has made major contributions to five different sports across more than three decades.

He is best known for his work in road and track cycling, in which he has turned his lifelong passion for sport into a commitment to giving sportspeople the chance to live out their dreams.

His first contribution was through financial support of Kathy Watt’s quest for Olympic gold in 1992, when she won the road race and placed second in the individual pursuit in Barcelona.

Ryan continued by founding Australia's first professional cycling team, the Jayco Cycling Team, and by fostering the next generation of Australian cyclists through Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) and Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) programs.

Since 2012, Ryan has been the owner and chairman of Australia's first UCI WorldTour team, the GreenEdge Cycling Team, which is currently known as Team Jayco AlUla (for men) and Liv AlUla Jayco (for women).

Ryan, who is a member of AusCycling's Hall of Fame, previously held the role of president of Cycling Australia, one of AusCycling's predecessors. He has also supported major cycling races such as the Herald Sun Tour.

Most recently, Ryan has backed the ProVelo Super League, a new domestic road cycling competition that will launch in 2025 with the support of AusCycling.

As a General Member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Ryan joins an exclusive honour roll that features the nation's biggest sporting names, such as Sir Donald Bradman, Dawn Fraser, Cathy Freeman and Rod Laver.

"Each member of the class of 2024 has made a significant impact on Australian sport, not just through personal excellence but as a role model for future generations and by helping to foster a strong sporting culture in a nation so proud of its rich sporting history," read a press release from the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

"Membership as an Athlete Member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame belongs exclusively to the top echelon of Australian athletes who have achieved the highest honours at the peak level of competition. General Members are recognised for their outstanding achievements in roles that support sports participants."

Ryan's business interests include caravan company Jayco Australia, theatrical company Global Creatures, and ownership of wineries and resorts. Other sports to benefit from his investment have included basketball, horse racing, Australian rules football and rugby league.

"I’m still coming to terms with being selected," Ryan said. "You never dream of receiving such an honour but I’m so pleased, not just for me but for the people who have been around me to help me achieve this. My family and friends and work colleagues.

"I’m certainly going to be very proud to be in that room and looking around at the people who are also accepting awards. You have a vision, you have a dream, but certainly I have surpassed what I believed growing up as a boy that I would ever achieve."

Photos: Hamish Blair Photography