But the 37-year-old says that winning last year's Sports Performer of the Year Award, presented by Colonial First State, was the highlight of his professional sporting career. ''As an athlete, it's great to win, but it's another thing entirely to get recognition from your peers and from the public,'' he told the Herald yesterday.

''The Australian sporting public voted me the Sports Performer of the Year, and when you consider the tradition that we as a country have in sport and the sports we follow, I was honoured just to be nominated.''

Now the time has come to vote for this year's awards. . The past year has featured great performances at the Winter Olympics and Paralympics and the Commonwealth Games. The AFL and NRL had memorable seasons.

Who can match the feats of Alexander, who won the third annual Sports Performer of the Year Award last December after winning the Hawaii Ironman two months earlier? That ironman event included a 3.8 kilometre swim, a 180km bike ride and 42.2km run. Alexander's second straight triumph in the gruelling event made him only the fourth back-to-back winner of the ironman world titles since they were first run 1978.

Of the 145,785 votes cast, Alexander's effort attracted the most support from a field that included Cadel Evans, Stephanie Gilmore, Jarryd Hayne, Steve Hooker, Mark Webber and Gary Ablett. This year Alexander won seven of the 10 races he competed in in the United States, but was disappointed to only come fourth in Hawaii.

''To win that one you have to have a great day, and I had a good day, not a great day,'' he said.

He recently returned home with his wife and two children to Cronulla after six months training and competing in the US, but after a rest plans to keep competing.

''Physically, because I was a late starter into the sport, I think I'm still improving and I've hit my peak years with no wear and tear and no injuries, touch wood.''

Voting for this year's award opens at 9am on Friday at www.performance awards.com.au and closes at 5pm on November 24.

Those who vote could win $5000 and tickets to the awards ceremony, which will be held on November 30 at Melbourne's Crown Casino.

There are five awards to vote on: Sports Performer of the Year, Team Performance of the Year, Coach Performance of the Year, Young Performer of the Year, and Performer of the Year with a Disability.

The Sports Performer of the Year will win $50,000 courtesy of Colonial First State, and final nominations will be announced later this week.

Alexander likes the chances of pole vaulter Steve Hooker.

''[Hooker's] been nominated every year that the award's been run, and each year that passes he just goes out and wins another major international title,'' he said.How to vote

The 2010 Sports Performer of the Year Awards, presented by Colonial First State and recognising the very best in Australian sport, will be decided by you, our readers, through an exclusive online poll. Voting is open until 5pm on November 24 at www.performerawards.com.au.

Vote for who you think is the most worthy winner in each category and you will go into the draw to win $5000 from Colonial First State. The gala function recognising the very best performers from the previous year will be held at Crown Casino in Melbourne on Tuesday, November 30.

The winner of the Sports Performer of the Year will receive $50,000 from Colonial First State.

Cast your vote now at www.performerawards.com.au.