Athlete voices to shape future of Athletics Australia

Athletics Australia (AA) has re-established its Athletes’ Advisory Committee, bringing together a collection of athlete voices to assist in shaping the future of the sport in Australia.

Comprised of eight Australian representatives including Olympians, Paralympians and Commonwealth Games representatives, the Athletes’ Advisory Committee will play an important role by bringing insights and perspectives to the AA Board and Executive Team, and will help to further meaningful engagement with the broader high performance athlete cohort. 

Two-time world champion and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Cameron Crombie (para throws) was elected as Chairperson by his Committee peers, while Tokyo Olympian Ben Buckingham (middle distance) will serve as Vice Chair. 

Advisory secretary Rhydian Cowley (race walks), Jaryd Clifford (para distance), Linden Hall (middle distance), Mackenzie Little (throws), Madison de Rozario (wheelchair racing) and Steve Solomon (sprints) were also selected by a panel of AA Board members and alumni athletes.

Athletics Australia President Jan Swinhoe said the relaunch of the Committee will be a key part of the organisation’s transformation as it enables the sport to reach its full potential. 

“Athletes are always at the forefront of our minds in our decision making and the time is now for our high performance athletes to be given greater input into decisions that affect their future,” Swinhoe said. 

“We received a strong response from the initial call out for applications, however this group was hand-picked because of their diverse range of skillsets and experiences both on and off the track.  

“The Committee selected represents some of the different backgrounds and perspectives that make up our Australian athletics community and we believe this group of individuals will make a valuable contribution in creating a safer, more effective, and more welcoming environment for all athletes. I am very much looking forward to seeing what can be achieved when we work together.”

Meeting as a group for the first time this month, the Athlete Advisory Committee addressed their mission; to empower Australia’s high performance athletes by building and maintaining a supportive and consultative relationship with Athletics Australia, and act as a unified, trusted and transparent voice on matters relevant to recent, current and future athletes.

“We’ve got an exceptional group of athletes from just about every discipline, so not only is it exciting to be a part of a group that wants to make a positive change, but it’s great that we are in the perfect place to cast a wide net right from the outset,” said Crombie.

“Being the first iteration of an Athletes’ Advisory Committee for quite some time, we have the benefit of being able to create what we and others would like to see, rather than trying to pick up where another committee has left off.”

Crombie added that the Committee is also looking forward to working with AA’s high performance athletes to make a positive difference, and encouraged NASS athletes to come forward with their thoughts and feedback. 

“We want athletes to feel safe; safe to ask sensitive questions and safe to speak up if they have a feeling that something isn’t quite right. We want to be visible and approachable, so I’d encourage all high performance athletes to become familiar with the eight committee members, go and say “Hi” if they see them at a meet or event, or get in touch through any of the available methods - we’re here to help and feedback is what we need to make sure we are representing the athlete body to the best of our ability,” Crombie continued. 

“It’s definitely an exciting time and everyone in the group is looking forward to the challenge.”

The Athletes Advisory Committee was selected based on a criteria and members will serve a tenure of two years. 

High Performance athletes are able to connect with the Committee via athleteAC@athletics.org.au 

Click HERE for more information. 

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 27/10/2022