Jelena Dokic brought the Logies audience to tears with a powerful and deeply personal speech after winning her first-ever TV award on Sunday night.
The former tennis star, now 42, took home the Logie for Best Factual or Documentary Program for Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story, a raw and revealing look into her life, including her battles with domestic violence and mental health.
Visibly emotional as she took to the stage, Dokic admitted she hadn’t expected to win and hadn’t prepared a speech. “I’m actually in shock,” she said. “I didn’t think this was possible.”
She began by thanking the team at Roadshow for bringing her story to life, especially during moments when even she didn’t believe it could happen. She also paid tribute to those who voted, not just fans but industry members too.
“And not because of me,” she said, “but because the hard stories and the difficult topics need to be told to create awareness. This is something that we did not even talk about 10 years ago. Now we have it in books and on screen.”
The tennis legend said the win wasn’t just hers, but one for survivors everywhere, particularly those impacted by domestic violence and mental illness.
“Lastly, to every kid and person out there… never allow anyone to take your worth or happiness or smile away,” she said to a silent, captivated room. “Believe in your goals and dreams. I am standing here as someone who literally had that dream. I believed in it. I didn’t give up on it. If I can do it, you can do it too.”
But it was her heartfelt tribute to friend and fellow tennis legend Todd Woodbridge that left many in the audience teary-eyed.
“This makes me cry so much,” she said, recounting a conversation the two had 11 years ago when she retired from tennis. “You said to me that I can be a commentator and bring my story to life. I looked at you and said, ‘I don’t know who you’re talking about, but you’re not talking about me.’”
Dokic recalled being someone who “couldn’t string two sentences together” and lacked confidence, but Woodbridge’s belief in her made the impossible feel possible.
“I hope everyone finds a Todd like I did,” she said, as the cameras caught Woodbridge overcome with emotion.
“You’re a massive reason why I’m here,” she added. “If everyone can have a father and mentor like Todd, they would be very fortunate.”
As Dokic finished her speech, the crowd rose in a standing ovation.
Images: Channel 7
