Rio Tinto Athletics For The Outback

Empowering Regional and Remote Communities Through Athletics

The Rio Tinto Athletics for the Outback (AFTO) program brings athletics to life in some of Australia’s most remote and regional communities, offering youth the opportunity to move, connect, and grow through sport.

Run by Australian Athletics and powered by the support of Rio Tinto, AFTO delivers tailored athletics experiences,  from school clinics and community events to coaching development and carnivals, with a strong focus on collaboration, sustainability, and inclusion.

Since its relaunch in 2022, the program has connected with over 15,000 participants, reaching 65 communities across Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory. In 2024 alone, AFTO delivered more than 85 days of programming, engaging over 10,500 children through accredited coaching, local partnerships, and legacy-building initiatives.

A Program with Purpose

  • Community-designed: AFTO programs are co-created with schools, local leaders, and community groups to meet unique regional needs.
  • Accessible and inclusive: No facilities or equipment are required. AFTO adapts to each environment, ensuring every child can participate.
  • Coach and leader development: We don’t just deliver programs,  we help communities sustain them, upskilling teachers, volunteers, and local leaders.
  • Powered by partnership: Thanks to Rio Tinto, the program has grown in scale and impact, with special initiatives including high frequency engagement in Weipa and major activations in Gladstone, with Olympians and Paralympians connecting Rio Tinto employees and families with the sport.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Rio Tinto Athletics for the Outback [AFTO]program brings athletics directly to remote and regional communities. Programs are flexible and can include:

  • Kids Clinics
  • School Clinics
  • Running Clubs
  • Team & Event Development
  • Athletics Carnivals
  • Teacher Upskilling
  • Community Coaching Courses

The Rio Tinto Athletics for the Outback Program is delivered by Australian Athletics and accredited coaches, in partnership with local communities and supported by Rio Tinto.

Reach out to our National Athletics for the Outback Coordinator, Sam Ajisafe:
📧 sam.ajisafe@athletics.org.au

Program Locations

  • Focus: Foster sustainable relationships with schools and community organisations.
  • Impact:
    • Active in six schools and one athletics club.
    • Delivered accredited coaching courses (Level 1 Youth and Recreational Running).
    • Home to a major community activation connecting Rio Tinto families with athletics.
  • Focus: Reach towns often missed due to geographical barriers and support athletes ahead of regional competitions like the North West Championships.
  • Impact:
    • Four weeks of program delivery planned in 2025, reaching both coastal and inland towns.
    • Engagement with schools and Little Athletics centres through multiple visits.
  • Focus: Strengthen long-standing community engagement and school participation.
  • Impact:
    • Longest-running AFTO location since the start of the Rio Tinto partnership.
    • Young athletes have progressed to regional and state-level competitions.
    • Delivered monthly sessions across schools and community groups in 2024.

The delivery of the Rio Tinto Athletics in the Outback (AFTO) program in the Northern Territory (NT) since 2022 has undoubtedly produced some of the program’s greatest impact. The NT AFTO program has engaged with some of the most isolated regional and remote communities in Australia, forging cultural connections, uncovering an abundance of raw, natural talent, and bringing excitement and opportunity to First Nations people through the fun and power of the inclusive sport of athletics.

Since the inception of AFTO in the NT, the program has gone from strength to strength with a very clear focus on remote communities that have often not been supported by other sports. Regions such as the Gove Peninsula and East Arnhem land have benefitted greatly from continued and consistent AFTO visits. Through this work, Australian Athletics has been invited to attend sporting events such as the Arnhem Sports Carnival which hosts all homeland/remote schools in the region. Excitingly, the NT AFTO programs have also seen a large cohort of athletes from East Arnhem communities attend the NT Athletics Championships where they, in turn, proceeded to qualify for and compete at the Australian All Schools Championships.

How can I get involved or register interest?

Reach out to our National Coordinator, Sam Ajisafe:
📧 sam.ajisafe@athletics.org.au

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