Opinion
It’s one thing to cheer our Olympians, but don’t abandon them now
Kieren Perkins
ContributorMany Australians will be looking forward to a full night’s sleep for the first time in over a fortnight when the Paris Olympic flame is extinguished on Monday morning, AEST.
However you measure it, the Paris Olympics have been an incredible success, with our athletes topping the world in a wide range of sports.
Saya Sakakibara rode to a gold medal in the BMX.Credit: Getty Images
We’ve had a record gold medal count, and the heartwarming scenes involving the Fox sisters, the heroic performances in the pool and Saya Sakakibara’s dominance in BMX were among the many highlights that will live on in the memories of Australians.
As someone fortunate enough to represent our country at three Olympics, being in Paris to witness these moments has made me incredibly optimistic about what comes next as we continue the journey towards Brisbane 2032.
But I must ask: why are so many of you waking up at 3am to support our athletes during the Olympics, but then forgetting about them for the next four years until the Olympics roll around again?
This needs to change.
Our athletes have worked tirelessly behind the scenes and they deserve our attention and support all year around.
I know it’s unrealistic for everyone to follow 30-plus sports all year round as we do during an Olympic fortnight, but if there was a moment or an athlete that inspired you, keep following them.
Modern technology makes this easier than ever. Many Australian athletes give incredible access to their fans via social media (Logan Martin and Harry Garside, for example) while global events are often live-streamed online.
As CEO of the Australian Sports Commission, with responsibility to allocate funding and support to our athletes and sports on behalf of the Australian government, it is essential to ensure every dollar of public money that is invested delivers maximum impact.
The Australian men’s pursuit team celebrates after winning gold.Credit: AP
No one has contributed to Australia’s success in Paris more than the Australian taxpayer.
The government has committed record funding to high-performance sport, increased the financial support going direct to athletes and committed to upgrading our national home of sport, the Australian Institute of Sport campus in Canberra.
I’m not suggesting we all abandon our favourite footy teams, but imagine if we all adopted a second sport to live and breathe the high and lows ahead of the Winter Olympics in Italy in 2026 and Los Angeles in 2028.
When was the last time you watched an Olympian compete in your own backyard? Unfortunately, these great events featuring world-class athletes often take place in front of little more than family and friends.
Alexa Leary will be among the Australians swimming for gold at the Paralympics.Credit: Getty Images
Not only are they great entertainment and value for money, they can also inspire the next generation of Hockeyroos, Sharks and Rowsellas.
How many Olympians and Paralympians do you follow on social media?
Your engagement on social media, clicks on newspaper articles and eyeballs on TV broadcasts can lead to corporate and philanthropic support for our athletes, resulting in less reliance on their family and friends to help fund them.
Every four years, we hear about the hardships of athletes to get to the start line by juggling multiple jobs, delaying major life decisions and putting studies on hold.
Raising their profiles away from the Olympics and Paralympics would be a step in the right direction. It’s no secret that more attention and more fans result in more money for our athletes.
We all remember the Aussie athletes emblazoned all over our cereal boxes (or milk cartons in my case) from years gone by. We are fortunate today to have athletes who are so well-spoken and are ready-made ambassadors.
Our entire national high-performance strategy is anchored around a “win well” ethos that emphasises that how we win is just as important as when we win, and we want the nation to connect with these inspiring stories. The media has a key role to play here.
I encourage all Australians who’ve enjoyed the Olympics to keep the momentum going, starting with our incredible Paralympic team later this month.
This inspiring team deserves your support.
Para-athletes like swimmer Alexa Leary, triathlon and cycling champion Lauren Parker and our world-beating boccia athletes Dan Michel and Jamieson Leeson deserve attention.
With eight years to go to Brisbane 2032, the time is now. Our athletes put in the work. Now we must all continue to get behind the green and gold.
Kieren Perkins is a two-time Olympic gold medallist and CEO of the Australian Sports Commission.
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