A SUNSHINE Coast Olympics legacy group has been formed by council to gauge how the community would like to be involved with the 2032 Brisbane Games.
The group, which includes individuals representing diverse backgrounds, will create a document which will be handed to council with ideas on how the Olympics could positively impact the community.
Some of the members include Blake Cochrane who is representing Olympians and Paralympians, Mark Henricks (Sport and Active Recreation), and Emma Josey (Youth).
The chair of the group, Dr Bridie Kean, told GC&M News what the group will focus in the lead-up to the Brisbane Games, based on their first meeting which occurred at the start of May.
“A large theme throughout the night was how we engage youth and I actually see it as how we can get everyone in the community more active as a result of hosting these games,” she said.
“Specifically for young people who have that potential to compete for Australia in 2032, I think that’s a really exciting part of it.”
The group will have a focus on providing more opportunities for people with a disability who are Paralympic hopefuls, as well as those who won’t be competing at an elite level.
“Sport is for everyone, I’m really passionate about providing opportunities with those with a disability which we just have far less of in general, and so we really need to do what we can to provide more opportunities,” she said.
Although the legacy group won’t specifically be linked to any organisations such as the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS), Dr Kean is a board member of the QAS and speaks highly of their initiatives to identify young talent.
“Everyone’s got a role to play in 2032 whether it’s at the legacy level or identification of talent, to me it all links into that,” she said.
Local talents such as Beerwah Bulldogs player Jordan Jackson, soccer player Amali Kinsella and volleyball player Olivia McKenzie are among the many from our region who are already in the QAS training programs.
Main image: Legacy members with Dr Bridie Kean
