And we love being there to celebrate the wins and reflect on the losses, witness the triumphs and be inspired by the challenges that make us better.

Here is a showcase of some of his top shots of Hastings sports stars in 2017.

Click the photo for the full story.

October 15, 2017: LEVI Kelly has what it takes to get to the highest level, according to coach Cole Kalkbrenner.

“I’ve told him before and I want him to believe it now that there’s no reason why he can’t be a world champion,” he said. Click here for full story.

December 10, 2017: AUBREY de Silva has never been on a plane before, let alone travelled overseas.

But in May next year he will embark on an almost 20-hour journey to Rome as part of the Australian under-16 futsal team’s 16-day tour. Click here for full story.

January 22, 2017: AT just eight years of age, local waterskier Tiger Stone took out his first national title at the weekend’s Australian Junior Masters event at Stoney Park.

Stone gave the Mid-North Coast some bragging rights over the rest of the country when he was too good in the under-10 boys’ slalom division. Click here for full story.

March 26, 2017: PORT Macquarie’s Eastcoast Eagles men’s and women’s futsal teams have won their respective grand finals at the ASN Port Macquarie Futsal Cup.

They defeated tournament favourites and professional outfit Atletico Brisbane in both divisions. Click here for full story.

May 5, 2017: IT is hard to believe Port Macquarie’s Rachael Goodwin has only been running for three years.

She deemed herself unfit when her family relocated from Sydney, but quickly adapted to the athletic lifestyle despite having no background in triathlon.

On Sunday, she will take on the biggest physical challenge of her life – a full distance Ironman Australia race. Click here for full story.

March 20, 2017: THE World Cup only comes around once every four years, so for Port Macquarie trio Britt Hargreaves, Shannon Day and Sophie Jones, being selected in the Australian Womens Futsal team is a dream come true. Click here for full story.

October 6, 2017: ENGLISH horse Loving Home has stormed the final hundred to take out the $150,000 2017 Carlton Draught Port Macquarie Cup.

The impressive horse, trained by Chris Waller and owned by Jack Blake, was jockeyed by Tye Angland. Click here for full story.

September 12, 2017: HE is only 10 years old, but Tuqiri Mason has the world at his feet – literally.

The Westport Public School student qualified for the state athletics finals in Sydney in mid-October with a strong performance in the Lower North Coast zone finals. Click here for full story.

October 3, 2017: LAUREN Kitchen has some decisions to make ahead of the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

It will be her first Commonwealth Games experience after injury ended her chances ahead of Glasgow in 2014. Click here for full story.

May 22, 2017: PRIOR to Sunday’s TAB race meeting at Port Macquarie, trainer Marc Quinn suggested he might have retired Imposition if she got home.

But after the three-year-old did it so easily in the 1200-metre maiden he has decided to let her have another run again. Click here for full story.