Motions

Commonwealth Games

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD (Reynell—Minister for Child Protection, Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (12:31): I move:

That this house—

(a) acknowledges and congratulates the 55 South Australian athletes who competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games on their achievements, dedication and hard work in representing their country on the world stage;

(b) recognises the achievements of all medallists who helped Australia finish on top of both the gold medal and overall medal tally in Birmingham;

(c) recognises all the performances of South Australian athletes who, individually and as teammates, won 23 gold medals, including—

(i) Sophie Edwards, Chloe Moran, Leigh Hoffman, Matthew Richardson, Matthew Glaetzer, Georgia Baker, Rohan Dennis and Maeve Plouffe (cycling);

(ii) Christopher McHugh and Paul Burnett (beach volleyball);

(iii) Jessica Stenson (marathon) and Kurtis Marschall (pole vault);

(iv) Tahlia McGrath, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Darcie Brown (cricket);

(v) Matthew Temple, Meg Harris, Kyle Chalmers, Madison Wilson and Zac Incerti (swimming); and

(vi) Sarah Klau (netball).

(d) acknowledges that the Commonwealth Games are the ‘friendly games’ where para and able-bodied athletes compete on the same stage, promoting inclusivity and achievement through sport; and

(e) recognises the huge sacrifices and part played by parents, family members, partners and friends in the lives of all athletes, whether it be at the elite or community level, to support their loved ones in their achievements.

I am so very pleased to have the opportunity to rise today to move this motion. In doing so, I wholeheartedly and with pride acknowledge the 55 South Australian-based and born athletes who recently so beautifully and so skilfully represented our country at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games. I thank them for their participation and the excellence with which they represented our state and note the pride that we all share in their many achievements.

I also acknowledge their years of dedication, training and resilience that allowed them to compete at this elite level. You are an inspiration to us all. I pay tribute to all who back these outstanding athletes: coaches, officials, administrators and others who are integral members of our Commonwealth Games team and indeed of every sporting success story.

Of course, I acknowledge and deeply thank the loved ones of these athletes who unconditionally give their love, support and encouragement and enable their loved ones to pursue their sporting dreams. It was absolutely thrilling to watch and cheer for these fine South Australian athletes from afar and to witness the culmination of their incredibly hard work. It was also really lovely to learn more about their personal journeys, to catch glimpses of their families on the screen and to see their joy in seeing their loved ones doing what they love at the highest level.

South Australia has always proudly been a state that exceeds expectation in terms of representation and achievement in the sporting arena, and these games are a shining example of this. As a state with around 7 to 8 per cent of Australia's total population, South Australian athletes made up almost 13 per cent of the Australian Commonwealth Games team, numbering 55 of the 433 athletes, and they did so very much more than making up the numbers. These outstanding athletes brought home as individuals and as members of teams an amazing 23 gold medals.

The gold medallists included Sophie Edwards, Chloe Moran, Leigh Hoffman, Matthew Richardson, Matthew Glaetzer, Georgia Baker, Rohan Dennis, Maeve Plouffe, Kristina Clonan and Caitlin Ward, who won their medals either at the velodrome or on the road as cyclists. They included Chris McHugh and Paul Burnett for beach volleyball, Jess Stenson in the marathon, Kurtis Marschall in the pole vault and Tahlia McGrath, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Darcie Brown as members of the women's cricket team. They also includes Matthew Temple, Meg Harris, Kyle Chalmers, Madison Wilson and Zac Incerti for their efforts in the swimming pool; Sarah Klau, as part of the Diamonds netball team; and Tom Wickham for the Kookaburras hockey team. Their achievements were remarkable, and their efforts were often supported by SASI.

The highly credentialled South Australian Sports Institute played a crucial role in the journey of these competitors and it continues to produce and hone the skills of so many athletes from a number of sporting disciplines. At Birmingham, there were six SASI-based swimmers in the Australian Dolphins swimming team, who won 11 medals between them. The Aussie beach volleyball program, based here in Adelaide with SASI, proudly saw Chris McHugh and Paul Burnett win back-to-back gold medals, successfully defending the medals they won on the Gold Coast in 2018. The Australian track cycling team also has its national training centre based in Adelaide, and our cyclists achieved a magnificent total of 13 medals.

SASI graduates Maeve Plouffe, Sophie Edwards, Chloe Moran and SA-based Georgia Baker smashed the Commonwealth Games record in the team pursuit with a winning time of four minutes 12.234 seconds. All three of the SASI graduates competing at the Games were discovered as part of the SASI talent search testing program, which identifies and matches young athletes in years 7 to 12 to sports that best fit their physical make-up and which has a proven track record of producing world-class performers.

I attended one of the most recent testing sessions at Sacred Heart College with the member for Gibson during the last school holidays, and we both ventured to take on the running test. For me, it is always a great opportunity to have a go at these types of things and enjoy the experience. I am still waiting for the offers to join a development squad; I suspect I will be waiting for a very, very long time.

In 2016, I also took part in the testing with Office for Recreation, Sport and Racing Australian lacrosse champion chief executive, Kylie Taylor. We tested ourselves for cycling and also found out that neither of us was likely to be lining up to ever represent our country on the track or on the road at any future elite events in that discipline either. It is fantastic, however, that more high school-age students from across South Australia are getting the opportunity to test their athletic ability through these sessions.

What I have no doubt about is that we will see some of these excellent young people who go out and have a go take their place in our elite sporting ranks in the future. Again, SASI plays such a key and important role in this identification, development and support of elite athletes in South Australia. I thank Wes Battams and his team at SASI for everything they do to ensure our athletes are in the best possible condition and have the necessary supports around them to succeed at the national and international level.

There are so many outstanding performances at the Games to speak about. Time will only permit me to celebrate a few here today. I particularly want to mention the stellar performances of two athletes with a connection to our beautiful southern community—Megan Schutt and Tahlia McGrath, who were an integral part of the gold medal winning women's cricket team.

Megan grew up in Hackham West and attended Wirreanda Secondary School. With the support of her family and friends, Megan found great success playing cricket, starting on the suburban streets in the south and then taking her place in local clubs. As a right-arm fast medium bowler, Megan has achieved great success domestically and internationally and we in the south and everywhere else are incredibly proud of her.

Tahlia McGrath also has connections to the south and has had an amazing career with the Southern District Cricket Club and the Adelaide Strikers, as well as being a key member of our outstanding national side. I remember seeing Tahlia play when she must have been about 14 or 15 at the Southern District Cricket Club at Bice Oval in Christies Beach, and she was absolutely remarkable. She shone then and she continues to shine on the international stage. Megan and Tahlia, both of you made us very proud, and we were all thrilled to see the incredible success of you and the rest of the women's cricket team at these Games.

Another highlight performance amongst many at the Games was our very own Jess Stenson, who showed incredible perseverance and determination to outlast a high-quality field of women to triumph at the end of the 42.2 kilometre marathon. Marathon runners are not born; they are products of years and years and years of work, which normally begin very early on. Jess began her sporting pursuits as a wrestler and competed from around nine years old until she was 21. She also played basketball and made the SA Country under 18 team. Once Jess focused on athletics—and although she was good at whatever sport she put her mind to—it was running that always drove her.

Jess has had a formidable career in marathon running ever since she ran the 2010 City to Bay event, coming home first to the cheers of a parochial and appreciative South Australian crowd. She competed in the City to Surf in Sydney and placed third and also won the National Cross Country Championships in Brisbane. Jess moved on to half marathons and then marathons, and she ran her first marathon in Japan in March 2012 before qualifying for the London Olympics, then wowing us with her performance at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where she finished with a bronze medallion in two hours, 30 minutes and 17 seconds.

Jess's marathon CV also includes winning the Melbourne Marathon, competing at the 2016 Rio Olympic marathon and running the greatest time ever by an Australian woman at the 2017 International Amateur Athletic Federation World Championships in London. She then ran the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games marathon on home soil and came in at third place, with the winner only one and a half minutes ahead of her. If the world was not watching by then, it certainly is now.

Following her second bronze medal in successive Commonwealth Games, Jess took time off to become a mum, and in November 2019 Jess gave birth to her beautiful son, Billy. Jess has kept up her training, but when the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the majority of international events in early 2020 that plan to get a qualifying time hit a bump, and soon after the opportunities to qualify through the domestic races also dried up. The Games were postponed to 2021, but a stress fracture in her leg eventually kept Jess out of the team for Tokyo. Following that disappointment, Jess set her sights on the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and the chance to become the first Australian marathoner to win medals at three successive Commonwealth Games.

Jess lined up with Aussie teammates Eloise Wellings and Sinead Diver, and early on they ran together, but at the 30-kilometre mark the race got serious and Wellings and Diver, along with the rest of the leading pack, dropped back leaving Jess in the leading group with two women from Namibia and Kenya to fight for the medals. With about 20 minutes left to run, Jess was able to kick and drop off the two competitors to go clear at the front. She held on to cross the line to very emotional scenes, and I am sure there were Australians watching in person and on the broadcast with a tear in their eye.

In the television interview after the race, Jess Stenson revealed that Eloise had helped her with the win because one of her drink bottles at around the 30-kilometre mark did not have her energy gel attached and Eloise gave Jess hers. This is an embodiment of the spirit of the Commonwealth Games and the true teamwork that takes place to get athletes to the pinnacle of their careers. I know many of us—I certainly was—were up watching Jess win, cheering at our TV screens and celebrating her great success. It was also really lovely to see footage of her family and friends sharing in her success both in Birmingham and closer to home.

Jess is a person I have always admired not only for her amazing sporting success but also for the way she generously cares, nurtures and supports other athletes, in particular aspiring athletes who look to her for inspiration and advice. She is an outstanding athlete and an even more excellent person. It was a great delight to work with Jess on our previous South Australian Women in Sport Taskforce and to have her insight and leadership about the promotion of women's sport and about how together we can address any barriers that prevent women and girls from taking their rightful place on the sporting stage and pursuing their dreams.

I also pay tribute to the inspiring performance of Madison de Rozario who won the Commonwealth gold in the T53/T54 marathon, defending her title from the Brisbane Commonwealth Games and displaying the awesome power and skill of wheelchair racing.

It was a great Games for female athletes and it was absolutely thrilling to see so many of them come home with medals and, in doing so, inspire girls and women, boys and men across the country. When we see women celebrated for being strong, skilful, powerful and celebrated on the world sporting stage, it is transformative in terms of how we see women and how we see the roles of women. That gives us an excellent opportunity to tackle all sorts of other issues through sport.

I also thank and congratulate the incredible, lovely and indomitable Katrina Webb OAM on the role that she played on the Commonwealth Games Australia team executive. Katrina is an inspirational athlete who is a three-time Paralympian and Commonwealth Games silver medallist. She joined the Chef de Mission, Petria Thomas OAM; Commonwealth Games gold medallists Sharelle McMahon and Anna Meares OAM; and Commonwealth Games Australia's team performance general manager, Tim Mahon, on the Australian team executive for the Games.

Katrina always does South Australia proud and it was wonderful to see her achievements in this role. It was really lovely to see how she engaged with athletes and enabled them, through her, to tell their stories—not just about their careers as athletes but also their personal journeys to get to the Commonwealth Games.

I love watching the Commonwealth Games. It is great to watch elite athletes compete in so many sports that we do not always get to see on our regular broadcasting. In particular, I loved seeing the weightlifting. Of the many sporting pursuits that I dreamed I may one day be on the world stage in—

Mr Pederick: You can lift heavy things.

The Hon. K.A. HILDYARD: —yes—weightlifting was amongst those dreams that also were never, ever realised. It was absolutely wonderful to see, rightly, the inclusion of para-athletes competing during the same time, particularly in the pool, at the velodrome, at the athletics and on the bowling greens. The inclusivity of the Commonwealth Games is unique, and bringing all these wonderful athletes together strengthens community attitudes to parasport, encourages people with a disability to be involved and shows absolutely what is possible.

Again, sport is powerful; it shifts attitudes and understanding, and the Games did this in abundance. We had an amazing group of parasports athletes from South Australia who competed in Birmingham 2022, alongside their other counterparts, in sports such as track cycling, lawn bowls, table tennis and swimming.

Caitlin Ward, as pilot for Jessica Gallagher, competed in the women's tandem B over 1,000 metres and also the women's tandem B sprint events. Beau Wootton also competed in the men's 1,000-metre tandem B sprint and time trial. Amanda Tscharke was part of the table tennis team and competed in the women's wheelchair. Isabella Vincent swam in two events, the women's 100-metre backstroke S8 and 100-metre breaststroke S86. Chris Flavel was a guide as part of the men's bowls doubles pairs, and Matthew Northcott was a guide in the mixed pairs. Congratulations to all these incredible athletes on what you have achieved and on being such an inspiration to other aspiring athletes and to us all.

In acknowledging all the athletes who competed at the Games, I sent congratulatory letters to the South Australians in the team and was so pleased that John Lamont and his team were able to pass them on to the athletes in the village in Birmingham. I thank John and his team at Commonwealth Games Australia for their assistance with this and also for the regular daily updates they provided to ensure that we were kept up to date with the performances of our athletes.

None of these incredible athletes achieved their success without the support, love and encouragement of their support teams. Whether it be their coaches, trainers, nutritionists, physios, club officials, mentors, their parents, partners, children, family and friends, these achievements are always a team effort, and I again pay tribute to everyone behind the scenes who supported these athletes on their journeys.

As a parent I know, as many of us would, of the many hours put into supporting our children in their sporting endeavours: volunteering as coaches, driving kids to training, getting food together for half-time and all the other countless activities that help our loved ones get active and involved and, in some cases, pursue their sporting dreams to the national and international stage. To all those wonderful supportive people I say, 'Thank you.' You should be rightly proud of your loved ones, as we all are.

In closing, I thank all the athletes who competed at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games for their efforts and the way they represented our country and our state with such distinction. They are great role models for the boys and girls, young women and men who aspire to replicate their efforts and feats of excellence in the future. Their persistence and courage was on show whenever they competed, and it is a great lesson for aspiring athletes that hard work and resilience are the foundation of great performances such as the ones we saw from so many competing in Birmingham. Let us hope these Games inspire many South Australians to aim for Brisbane 2032.

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (12:51): I rise today to support the motion and to congratulate the 55 South Australian athletes who competed and made not just our country but also the state of South Australia extremely proud.

Sir, you would know that it is a fantastic feat to represent your state in sport. I am not sure if you know, but I did represent our state in Irish handball after attending Rostrevor College. I think there are only two schools that play Irish handball, CBC and Rostrevor College. Unfortunately, we are not recognised by the Commonwealth Games but, who knows, maybe one day.

It is a great pleasure to be here with so many sports lovers on this side of the chamber, like the member for Schubert who, I know, was an outstanding netballer who has represented the state and our country with pride. Of course, netball was at the Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth Games are indeed an important institution for Australia as well as for the countries with which we share this fantastic event, which promotes diversity, inclusivity and also mutual respect between nations with a shared history. As we have heard, 55 athletes across 17 different sports, including new program additions from the women's T20 cricket to mixed synchronised diving and basketball, represented South Australia—and represented us well.

Within our national Australian team, 34 of the athletes selected were current South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) scholarship holders or graduates. That is why we found it very important to continue to invest in our SASI facility, to continue to invest in facilities like our centre at Gepps Cross for soccer, or football—whichever you like to call it; you, sir, probably like to call it football, like me—with over $400 million in investment since we were in government before the March state election.

We really tried to do what we could to make sure we continued to invest in the future of our athletes, because the leaders of tomorrow are here with us today, and it is really important that we continue to invest, especially in the junior sporting areas as well.

A total of 40 athletes from South Australia made their debuts at this year's Commonwealth Games, and they did not let us down, as we have heard. The youngest was 16-year-old para-swimmer and Tokyo Paralympian Isabella Vincent, who actually resides out my way. I had the pleasure of congratulating her when she was selected, if I am not mistaken.

We have heard the names of our South Australian athletes who competed, but I would like to take a moment to expand on some of those achievements in further detail, and I know a number of us on this side of the house would like to make further contributions showing how much we care about this particular topic.

South Australian multi-Olympian Jessica Stenson won her Commonwealth Games gold medal in the marathon in Birmingham, overcoming much adversity. What a story! She has pushed on. She is a powerful individual, a powerful mother and an inspiration to all South Australians—men and women, but especially women. I have seen her on many occasions running in the eastern suburbs, and I have never dared to try to keep up with her when she has overtaken me on roads like Kensington Road. What an absolute inspiration she was. To see her gallant efforts recognised was such an emotional time and we were so proud of her as South Australians.

Rohan Dennis, of course, claimed his first gold, topping the field in a men's time trial in road cycling. Rohan is another local lad whose brother, if I am not mistaken, lives out my way. Kyle Chalmers—whom I have also had the pleasure of meeting in this very chamber—won us three gold medals in the 100-metre freestyle relays, both men and mixed.

Maeve Plouffe, another SASI graduate, managed to clock the second fastest time in the women's pursuit qualifying, which is an absolutely tremendous feat. We should be very proud of our track cyclists as we know that multiple records were broken and medals won in this field. Matthew Glaetzer, another local resident out my way, won two gold medals in the Keirin men's team sprint. Matthew's is a particularly inspiring story because it was his first Commonwealth Games coming back after recovering from thyroid cancer.

What you learn about these athletes is that they are almost superhuman. They are amazing human beings, whether it is through injury they have had to overcome, or other things that have happened, they really have dedicated so many hours, days, months and years getting to the top of their craft. We take our hats off to them, as well as their support system—their families, their friends, the trainers and all the people who contribute to the one per centers behind the scenes. I would also like to recognise, of course, the most successful Paralympian in Australia's history, the member for Colton. I am sure he will also make a contribution on this motion.

There is no doubt that our athletes serve as an important inspiration to us all, especially to our young people—an inspiration to chase your dreams and overcome adversity. I could highlight each achievement of our outstanding athletes because there are many, but their fame and their achievement reach far beyond this place. It is really important that we continue to invest in them so that young people growing up see these athletes and want to be like them, which also lifts our spirits and our standards. Obviously, we cannot speak enough about the benefits of sport and recreation on people's health.

Once again, I would like to congratulate our 55 South Australian athletes. Their achievements serve as an inspiration to our country and our great state as well.

Ms HUTCHESSON (Waite) (12:57): I rise in support of this motion and convey my congratulations to all who attended and represented Australia at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games in such an inspiring way. To become a Commonwealth Games athlete takes years of commitment and dedication. Early morning training sessions, often multiple training sessions through the day and strict diet requirements allowing our athletes to be in top condition are only the start of what it takes to reach this level, all while juggling full-time employment.

As a child, I used to love watching the Commonwealth Games on the TV, mostly because Australia always did very well, and it would also often inspire new sporting interests in me—not always my parents favourite thing, as it often resulted in the need for new sporting equipment. As a parent now myself, I know the cost of having a child keen on sport. It can be extreme, and I can only imagine what it takes to support your child through to an elite standard.

Family plays a big role in supporting our athletes. Getting up early to drive them to practice, ensuring they have what they need to be successful and supporting their athlete when they are not. Performing sport at any level is met with the highs and lows of winning and losing, so the psychological support athletes need to manage this is very important.

Speaking of winning, at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, South Australia was well represented, with 55 members who are either South Australian or SA based resulting in a haul of 23 gold medals, 11 silver medals and eight bronze medals, equalling 42 altogether, with South Australia contributing to 24 per cent of all medals.

I was really proud to see our women's cricket team win the inaugural T20 women's gold medal. They are really are the best in the world, and it was wonderful to see them on the podium, including our own Tahlia McGrath, Megan Schutt, Amanda-Jade Wellington and Darcie Brown. Tahlia was lucky to be there after having tested positive for COVID not long before the game started. Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek leave to continue my remarks.

Leave granted; debate adjourned.

Sitting suspended from 13:00 to 14:00.