The Australian Women's Register

Marina Sulicich was the second child of Croatian-born parents Vera and Dusan Sulicich. Her elder brother Visko was dux of Broken Hill High School and became a mining engineer; her younger sister Duska became a journalist for the Age in Melbourne.

Marina showed an aptitude for gymnastics at primary school age and began gymnastics classes at the YMCA. She attended Broken Hill High School, then Willyama High School. Spotted by gymnastics coach Ollie Maywald, she joined the Broken Hill Gymnastics Club and began to compete at state and national level. Travel to championship competitions was often subsidised by the fundraising efforts of Broken Hill residents.

In 1976, Marina won the under fourteen State title in Adelaide and went on to win the National title in Launceston. She competed at international level in Hawaii and New Zealand, and was invited by American coach Jim Gault to join his club for training in California, which she did on two occasions in 1977 and 1978. In 1977 she also travelled to China to compete with top gymnasts there. Marina was a member of the Australian team at the Commonwealth Games of 1978, and once again took home the Australian open National title that year. She represented Australia at the World titles in Strasbourg in 1978 and Fort Worth, Texas, in 1979. Marina was profiled by the Australian Women’s Weekly in October 1978: ‘Australia’s highest hopes – certainly at the World Gymnastics Championships, will be with tiny, 14-year-old Marina Sulicich of Broken Hill who has the grace, nerve, skill and charm to emulate Olga Korbut and Nadia Comaneci’.

In 1980, at the height of her gymnastic career, Marina represented Australia at the Olympic Games in Moscow. It was the first time an Australian gymnast had made the all-round individual finals. She was ranked 33rd in the top 36 gymnasts at the Games.

Marina Sulicich retired from gymnastics after the Moscow Games and completed her secondary school education, followed by two years study in accountancy. She began work with the Broken Hill City Council and married Brett Morris in 1995. Brett and Marina have two daughters, Isabella and Savannah.

When the Olympic torch visited Broken Hill in 2000, Marina Sulicich lit the flame.