Australian professional beach volleyball player and Olympic gold medallist Natalie Cook OAM will join the Queensland Academy of Sport as Executive Director of Elite Success and Partnerships.
Minister for Sport Mick de Brenni today congratulated Ms Cook on her appointment, which makes her the Athlete Ambassador for Queensland, to help inspire a new generation of sports stars.
"Nat is an Australian sports legend, whose achievements make us extremely proud, not only because of wins like the gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but because of her unwavering commitment to promoting sport both here and overseas," Mr de Brenni said.
"Viewing sport as an important part of leading a healthy, active and fulfilling lifestyle is something Natalie and the Palaszczuk Government are extremely passionate about.
"Having worn the green and gold at five Olympic Games and built her own business, I can't think of a better Queenslander to energise our elite athletes and inspire them to the podium at Tokyo in six months."
Ms Cook's appointment complements a suite of measures that drive elite success in Activate! Queensland 2019-2029, the State's first 10-year strategy to help make physical activity a way of life for more Queenslanders.
"We're investing $44.5 million over three years to deliver innovative high-performance programs to give our athletes a competitive edge, including upgrades to the QAS gym that will make it the best in Australia," Mr de Brenni said.
"Queensland's going to be truly Olympic-ready — we'll have the best facilities, the best programs, and the best team — both out competing and behind the scenes."The Queensland Academy of Sport works on a global landscape strengthening relationships with the Australian Sports Commission, AOC and the Commonwealth Games Association as well as managing the Sport Performance Innovation and Knowledge Excellence Centre that facilitates applied research and strategic partnerships with universities and industry to achieve high performance outcomes."
