24 October 2018
Sport Australia welcomes new AOC Direction
Sport Australia CEO Kate Palmer welcomes the Australian Olympic Committee’s (AOC’s) new direction announced today by CEO Matt Carroll along with the shared aim to inspire more Australians to be more physically active through sport.
Palmer supports the AOC’s vision to inspire Australians by the spirit of sport, adding there are a lot of synergies in the ambitions of the two organisations.
Palmer also endorses the AOC’s decision to stop forecasting medal counts ahead of Olympic Games, saying the definition of success could not be isolated to medal tallies alone.
“Sport Australia values its partnership with the AOC and we welcome the new vision outlined by CEO Matt Carroll today, which aligns nicely with Sport Australia’s own ambitions,” Palmer says. “Sport Australia’s vision is for Australia to be the world’s most active sporting nation, known for its integrity, sporting success and world-leading sports industry.
“We believe unquestionably in the power of sport and physical activity to reflect the very best in our culture and to be a powerful vehicle for change.”
Palmer says programs outlined by the AOC today complement Sport Australia and AIS initiatives.
The AOC’s new Olympics Unleashed program will see Olympians and Paralympians going into schools to inspire children with their sporting journeys.
The AOC also outlined an Athlete Transition Program, to help Olympians with their life after competition by providing career mentoring and wellbeing support.
“Sport Australia will continue to advocate for the importance of more sport and physical activity in schools and we have had great success with our national Sporting Schools program,” Palmer says. “For the future health of our nation, we need to inspire young Australians to be more active.
“The AIS has significantly enhanced its investment in athlete wellbeing and community engagement, including mental health support. This is one of the many AIS initiatives that will be funded by the $50 million investment boost for high performance sport announced today by Federal Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie.”
Palmer says the AIS’s new strategy establishes a new definition for success which doesn’t focus on overall medal tallies.
“The AIS will continue to invest in sport and athletes for international podium success, but that success cannot be defined solely by a final position on an Olympic of Paralympic medal tally.
“Australians value team success, for example. An Australian team winning an Olympic medal equates to one medal on a medal tally, but it results in multiple medalists and inspiring performances.
“We support the AOC’s position that participation, athlete pathway and high performance are integrally linked and that is critical to international success.”
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