Junior athletes matching swords with the IOC President, ice cold lessons in red hot Queensland, acknowledging National Reconciliation Week with Indigenous Olympians and celebrating our volunteers mark a fantastic month of the Olympic spirit in Australian communities.
Fencers match up with IOC President Bach
More than 50 young fencers matched skills with IOC President and Olympic Fencing gold medallist Thomas Bach in Brisbane.
President Bach and Brisbane 2032 Coordination Commission Chair Kirsty Coventry took time during his visit to Brisbane to share his Olympic journey and the importance of the Olympic Movement with participants at the Brisbane Schools Teams Fencing competition.
The young athletes also heard from Olympians Matt Denny (Tokyo 2020, discus), Ria Thompson (Tokyo 2020, rowing bronze medallist) and Zac Stubblety-Cook (Tokyo 2020, swimming gold medallist) about the importance of goal setting, and how having a go at Olympic sports can lead to incredible outcomes.
With a 10-year green and gold runway leading up to the 2032 Games, the young athletes were excited to see their home city host the biggest sporting event in the world.
Volunteers honoured for amazing impact
Aussie Olympians paid tribute to the incredible work of volunteers across Olympic sports as part of National Volunteer Week in May.
Every Olympian knows the importance of volunteers to their sport – from the grassroots to the Olympic level, volunteers are the lifeblood of Olympic sports.
It's National Volunteer Week!
— AUS Olympic Team (@AUSOlympicTeam) May 15, 2022
To the volunteers at grassroots clubs, the Olympic Games and in between - thank you for your hard work and dedication to the world of sport.
This week we celebrate each and every one of you 💛💚#NVW2022 #BetterTogether pic.twitter.com/ZwiOSV2ziX
Olympians Acknowledge Reconciliation Week
National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, achievements and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
Olympic hurdler Kyle Vander-Kuyp encouraged Australians to discover the history and stories of the traditional owners of the land they live, work and play sport on.
Indigenous Olympians Danny Morseu, Patrick Johnson and Brad Hore along with Paralympian Torita Blake shared their own athletic journeys and the importance of sport in the reconciliation movement with the Parliamentary Friends of the Olympic and Paralympic Movement Group in Brisbane.
Olympic boxer and artist Brad Hore also enabled a live art piece, with attendees all adding coloured dots to his artwork titled ‘Helping Hands’.
Ice cold lessons in hot North Queensland
Triple Olympian luger Alex Ferlazzo shared his experience with 13 Far North Queensland schools and clubs over five days as part of Olympics Unleashed.
Born in Townsville but spending his life training and competing in some of the coldest climates, Alex revealed the lessons that has seen him compete at the highest level.
"I think they really connect with me because I am from Far North Queensland as well. I'm very proud of where I'm from,” Alex said.
"I'm letting these kids know they really can do whatever they want no matter where they are from. A lot of them have never even thought about being cold before let alone playing a winter sport or making the Olympics.
"Take the first step and fail at a few things. Just be willing to jump back on the sled and try again no matter how many times you hit the wall on the way down.”
Search for our next Australian Olympic Change-Makers underway!
The Australian Olympic Change-Maker program launched for 2022 in May, looking for students who display the Olympic spirit to create positive change in their communities.
Students who display teamwork, friendship and sportsmanship to achieve change in their communities are eligible for the Australian Olympic Change-Maker award.
Schools can nominate two students, who are then eligible for statewide and national forums with Olympians and other young leaders.
Illawarra Olympians honoured
Aussie Olympians from Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 have been added to the Illawarra Olympic and Paralympic Tribute Wall in NSW with Emma McKeon, Sarah Carli and Matt Cox in attendance for the reveal.
The three were supported by family and friends, as the names of 17 Olympians from the Illawarra region who represented Australia at our most recent Games were added to the Wall along with summer and winter Paralympians.
Emma, the most successful Australian Olympian in history, has a place on the wall for a second time.
"It is a privilege to be on this wall and to be here today at this event," Emma said. "I have my family here with me and it's special because it's Wollongong, it's my hometown."
