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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-09-06 Daily Xml
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OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC GAMES

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (11:29): I move:

That this house congratulates all the South Australian athletes on their selection to the Australian team for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Of course, we do now find ourselves in a slight predicament but I do not see any need whatsoever for amendments. I gave notice of this motion on 17 May and set a date for debate of 19 July which was, of course, going to be before both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games commenced. The motion was going to be to congratulate them for their nomination to the teams. Now we find ourselves, because of the maintenance required to this chamber, in a situation where the Olympic Games are finished and the Paralympic Games are still ongoing, but I do not see any reason why we cannot all join together in our support for all of these athletes.

I am sure we are all incredibly proud of every single South Australian who has gone to London to represent our nation at the Paralympic and Olympic Games. They all compete at the highest level of competition in the world and deserve to be held in extremely high esteem for their sporting ability which we should all remember is a combination of natural talent, physical and mental training, application, determination and, very importantly, support from their family, coaches, friends, sporting clubs and other supportive organisations. They are also held in high esteem for the focus, dedication and sacrifices they and their families have made along the way without which none of them would be representing us on the world stage.

While we acknowledge our national champions, please also take a moment to consider the hundreds of thousands of other sports men and women and boys and girls who train and compete at all levels throughout our state and our nation and the very important contribution that they make to our communities and our culture as a whole.

Of course, while we admire AFL and many other sporting champions, there is no doubt that the Paralympians and the Olympians are at the very top of the tree. Let me first mention our South Australian Olympians, and that is only because their competition has finished and while the Paralympians are still overseas representing us as we speak. In fact, as we speak, I hope they are all tucked up in bed getting ready for competition tomorrow; that would be the sensible thing.

Our South Australian representatives at the Olympic Games were Jessica Trengove (athletics), Brad Newley (basketball), Abby Bishop (basketball), Laura Hodges (basketball), Jenni Screen (basketball). The women's basketball team won a bronze medal. Let me make special mention of Abby Bishop who comes from Melrose, a small town 22 kilometres away from Wilmington where I live. Other South Australians at the Olympic Games were Louise Bawden and Becchara Palmer (both in beach volleyball), Johan Linde (boxing), Hannah Davis (canoeing), Sam Willoughby (BMX) who won a silver medal, Brian Kirkham (BMX) who is a former Port Augustan, Stuart O'Grady (road cycling), Jack Bobridge (track cycling), Rohan Dennis (track cycling), Annette Edmonson (track cycling), Alex Edmonson (track cycling), Matt Glaetzer (track cycling), Kaarle McCulloch (track cycling), Anna Meares (track cycling) who won a gold medal. Anna Meares, Kaarle McCulloch and Annette Edmonson won bronze medals, and Jack Bobridge and Rohan Dennis won silver medals. Congratulations to all of them.

Other South Australian Olympians were Rachel Bugg (diving), Blake Gaudry (gymnastics), Renee Chatterton (rowing), Bryn Coudraye (rowing), James McRae (rowing), who won a bronze medal, Chris Morgan (rowing), David Chapman (shooting), Hayley Chapman (shooting), Will Godward (shooting), bronze medallist Hayden Stoeckel (swimming), our world famous South Australian champion Lleyton Hewitt (tennis), Harrison Peacock (volleyball), Nathan Roberts (volleyball), Greg Sukochev (volleyball) and Aden Tutton (volleyball) who are internationally famous now because our 22nd ranked South Australian team beat Poland which is third ranked in the world. Congratulations to all of those athletes. I would like to highlight that in individual performances all of those athletes won one gold medal, four silver medals and nine bronze medals—14 medals in total, which equates to 13.1 per cent of the total medals won by our Australian team well in excess of (nearly double) our average by population. Congratulations. Our South Australians really did us proud in that category.

South Australia's Paralympians are: in athletics, Gabriel Cole and Michael Roeger; in cycling, Kieran Modra, who won a gold medal with pilot, Scott McPhee; also winning gold in cycling, Felicity Johnson, with pilot, Stephanie Morton; in equestrian, Grace Bowman; in goalball, Rachel Henderson; in shooting, a very famous and very popular Libby Kosmala OAM, aged 70, at her 11th Paralympic Games, which is an extraordinary achievement; and in swimming the equally world-famous Matt Cowdrey, who so far in this meet has won three gold and two silver, and overnight became Australia's most prolific gold medal Paralympian, breaking his own world record in the 50 metres and winning his 11th gold medal. So far in his career, Matt has won 11 gold, seven silver and two bronze medals. Also in swimming are Jay Dohnt and Esther Overton.

Our South Australian Paralympians have so far won five gold and two silver, totalling seven medals, which is currently 10 per cent of the medals won by all Australians at the Paralympic Games. Again, we are overachieving in relation to our state's representation on a per capita basis. With respect to gold medals, South Australians have won five gold medals to date, which is nearly 16 per cent of the total gold medals won by Australian Paralympians so far. Again, that is well in excess of what would have been expected by our state on just a population basis. I am not too proud to say that in my youth I dreamed of being an Olympian.

Honourable members: It's not too late!

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Thank you very much to members opposite for their support, but I do know that it is too late. The reason I say that is that I know what an extraordinary achievement it is for all of our athletes—men and women, Paralympians and Olympians—to have achieved the heights they have. Purely to be selected on one of these teams is extraordinary. I worked my guts out; I tried as hard as I possibly could, I performed extremely well, and I am very satisfied with my achievements, but I was a long way from being an Olympian, so I hold these people in exceptionally high regard.

As we celebrate the combined 47 South Australian athletes who represent us this year on the international stage, please take a moment to consider how far we have come as a state, as a nation and as a community, that we look up to and admire these champions equally. It is their personal story, their achievement, their talent, their integrity, their personality, their charisma, and their other strengths and attributes that will make each one of us pick out our own personal heroes from all these champions. It will not be whether an athlete competed at the Paralympics or the Olympics that will have a bearing on that choice.

As we celebrate all 47 of these athletes—and, it must be said, their two pilots in the cycling—please consider what more each one of us here can and will do to put all people on an equal playing field in our minds and that it is their important personal qualities, efforts and achievements that will impact on our judgement about people and not their physical differences.

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (11:38): It is with great pleasure that I speak in support of this motion congratulating all our athletes on their selection to the Australian team and their performances at the recent 2012 London Olympic Games. I also congratulate our athletes who are currently competing at the 2012 London Paralympic Games, and I was delighted this morning to hear that Australia is fifth on the medal tally.

Unlike the member for Stuart, I can say that I was never going to be an Olympian, but I very much enjoy watching the Olympics. Gymnastics was probably the sport that I dreamed of, but I was never ever going to get there. Out of a total of 410 athletes in the Olympic team, South Australia has 39 representatives across 17 sports. They are: Jessica Trengove, Henry Frayne and Claire Tallent in athletics; Leanne Choo in badminton; Joe Ingles, Brad Newley, Abby Bishop, Laura Hodges and Jenni Screen in basketball; Becchara Palmer in beach volleyball; Johan Linde in boxing; Hannah Davis in canoe sprint; Sam Willoughby and Brian Kirkham in BMX cycling; Stuart O'Grady in road cycling; Anna Meares, Matthew Glaetzer, Glenn O'Shea, Alex Edmondson, Annette Edmondson, Jack Bobridge and Rohan Dennis in track cycling; Rachel Bugg in diving; James McRae, Chris Morgan, Bryn Coudraye, Renee Chatterton and Sally Kehoe in rowing; William Godward, David Chapman and Hayley Chapman in shooting; Hayden Stoeckel in swimming; William Henzell in table tennis; Lleyton Hewitt in tennis; Blake Gaudry in trampoline; and Aidan Tutton, Nathan Roberts, Harrison Peacock and Grigory Sukochev in volleyball.

Included in the selections were a number of unique combinations, including the first brother and sister to compete in track cycling at the same Olympics—Alex and Annette Edmondson from Stirling. Also unique was the first ever father and daughter combination to compete at the same Olympics—David and Hayley Chapman in the pistol shooting disciplines. These selections also reflected the strong international performances by South Australians during the 2011-12 year, with 11 SASI athletes winning a total of 10 gold medals at senior world championships.

At the 2012 London Olympic Games, Australia was placed 10th overall on the medal tally, with a total of 35 medals (seven gold, 16 silver and 12 bronze), involving 92 athletes. South Australian athletes contributed eight of these medals to the tally (one gold, two silver and five bronze), involving 12 athletes. The result was achieved across eight events, from track cycling, BMX, rowing, swimming and basketball. South Australia also had 23 athletes making their Olympic debut in London, with five of these athletes returning home with medals.

Seven of South Australia's athletes were originally identified and developed through the South Australian Sports Institute's (SASI) talent search and talent identification program, in canoe sprint, cycling, rowing and volleyball. Cyclist Anna Meares was South Australia's most prolific medallist, winning gold in the women's sprint and bronze in the women's team sprint. There was further South Australian success in track cycling, with local riders Jack Bobridge, Rohan Dennis and Glenn O'Shea members of the men's team pursuit combination who returned home with a silver medal. This group, led by Bobridge, and which also included Michael Hepburn from Queensland, finished behind Great Britain, who had to break a world record to beat the Australian riders.

Another South Australian success at the velodrome was Annette Edmondson, one of our Olympians discovered through the SASI talent search program, claiming a bronze medal in the six-event women's omnium competition. Her first time at the Olympics, Annette's medal has meant she finished on the podium in all three of her international starts in the event, all in this year. Annette was also a member of the Australian combination to contest the women's team pursuit, which finished fourth overall, after being beaten by Canada in the bronze medal race.

In BMX cycling, current world champion Sam Willoughby overcame a tough start to his London campaign to complete a silver medal and Australia's first ever Olympic medal in the discipline. I have to say, I watched a bit of the BMX and it was fast and furious. I grew up as a child of the 1980s, when BMX Bandits was a very cool movie and everyone had a BMX, so the fact that it is an Olympic sport is quite impressive.

Rowers Chris Morgan and James McRae finished strongly behind the dominant German and Croatian crews to win a bronze medal in the men's quad scull. Current world champions, the pair, along with teammates Daniel Noonan and Karsten Forsterling, made sure the disappointment of missing out on a podium finish in Beijing would not be repeated.

At the Aquatic Centre, Hayden Stoeckel claimed bronze as the backstroke member of the 4x100 metres medley relay. Hayden also reached the final in the 100 metres backstroke with his time of 53.55 seconds, his personal best in a textile suit. In women's basketball Laura Hodges, Abby Bishop and Jenni Screen were members of the Opals team who secured the bronze medal after beating Russia in a tough encounter—83 to 74.

There are 14 South Australian athletes currently competing in the 2012 London Paralympic Games. They are Nathan Arkley, Gabriel Cole, Katie Parrish, Michael Roeger in athletics; Felicity Johnson, Stephanie Morton, Kieran Modra and Scott McPhee in cycling; Rachel Henderson in goalball; Grace Bowman in equestrian; Libby Kosmala in shooting; and Matthew Cowdrey, Jay Dohnt and Esther Overton in swimming.

I just want to make note of Matthew Cowdrey who last night became Australia's greatest Paralympian. He has successfully won 11 medals over three games, and it is very impressive for Matthew. In competing at her 11th Paralympic Games Libby Kosmala has been synonymous with the Paralympics through its history here in South Australia. I for one would like to congratulate her on this amazing feat. In comparison, Rachel Henderson is a Paralympic debutant, having only started competing in goalball just two years ago. Whether a new athlete to the Paralympics or a veteran, this has been an exciting time for our athletes and a just reward for their absolute talent as well as their perseverance and hard work over the years.

The South Australian Sports Institute has played a critical role in the identification, development and support of these athletes in their Olympic and Paralympic quest and journeys. The South Australian Sports Institute partners with the national and state sporting organisations to conduct intensive coaching and support programs. The institute also partners with the AIS and national sporting organisations to play a pivotal role in hosting a number of key national programs based here in Adelaide. These include the world powerhouse Cycling Australia AIS track cycling program, the AIS beach volleyball program and the national trampoline program.

Australia's high-performance system is increasingly complex and comprehensive, with athletes now more than ever moving around the country to ensure access to the best program and training environment for their needs. To compete at events like the London Olympics and Paralympics the requirements for international competition and training are increasingly rigorous. The intense work and training of the athletes is guided by the critical stewardship of the coaches and supported by the technical and scientific edges that are able to be provided through the likes of SASI.

Stable, supportive home environments are a hallmark of many a champion and elite athlete. It is in moments like this that we should also recognise and thank the parents and partners who provide the support our sporting champions and aspirants require. Their support and sacrifice are critical factors in enabling many of these athletes today to experience Olympic and Paralympic competition. Therefore, it is without hesitation that this government supports the motion in congratulating all South Australian athletes chosen to represent Australia and compete at the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Mr GARDNER (Morialta) (11:48): I rise to congratulate the many men and women who have represented Australia at the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. I commend the member for Stuart for bringing this motion to the house and I am very gratified that the government is going to support it. The member for Stuart in his contribution indicated that, while he had dreamt of being an Olympian, he was not able to make that mark. At least today we know that his endeavour to get this motion up in the house may well be more successful.

The member for Stuart is a very modest man, actually, as somebody who has represented sporting teams at the highest level in Australian competition from 1985 to 1988, while, at the same time, undertaking full-time university study, when he says he tried his hardest, and hardest, and hardest and did not make it. We know that he made an active decision to pursue a career in business and eventually politics as well; so, he certainly has been able to make it in the field of his choice, and perhaps in another world an Olympian we might have seen, but not from the man beside me in this one.

From a hobby to a passion to a dream the athletes who represented Australia at the Olympics and Paralympics have grown through dedication and hard work to now represent our great nation at the highest level in elite sport.

These athletes have sacrificed countless birthday parties, family barbecues, sleep-ins and nights out. They have balanced training with work or school and hit the training track even when the bravest of souls elsewhere might have turned back. Not all of these athletes have won every race or broken all the records, but all of these athletes have tried and tried, and tried again. They have done their best, and better again, and they have made us all proud. Australia was well represented at the games, and we congratulate these athletes. Representing Australia at the Olympics and the Paralympics is a magnificent achievement, and we are very proud of all of them.

In particular today I want to focus my remarks on our South Australian Paralympians. I also commend the member for Stuart for his perspicacity in choosing today to move this motion, a day when South Australian Matt Cowdrey has formally become Australia's greatest ever Paralympian. For those of you who are following on Twitter, @matt_cowdrey has just put up: 'Thank you everyone! Number 11 may have been the sweetest of them all!#proudparalympian.'

Matt Cowdrey, in winning his 11th gold medal, is identified as Australia's greatest ever gold-medal winner at the Paralympics. That, of course, is in addition to nine other metals of less golden hue. At 20 medals overall, that also, I believe, makes him Australia's greatest medal winner at the Paralympics in addition to being Australia's greatest ever gold-medal winner. That is an amazing achievement for somebody at their third Paralympics, a proud son of the Norwood swimming club.

Mr Marshall: Hear, hear!

Mr GARDNER: Thank you, member for Norwood. I will mention a bit more on that later. On 29 August this year, the opening ceremony was held for the 2012 London Paralympic Games, marking the official beginning of Paralympic competition.

The Paralympics began with the ideas of Ludwig Guttmann. Ludwig Guttmann was a German neurologist who founded and then directed the National Spinal Injury Unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital. After treating injured servicemen and women, Ludwig looked at alternative methods for rehabilitation.

After years of using sports as a means of rehabilitation, on 29 July 1948, the first ever Stoke Mandeville Games were held in London, the same day as the Olympic opening ceremony. Two teams from the Stoke Mandeville Hospital and the Star and Garter Home for Injured War Veterans competed in archery for the Challenge Shield. By 1951 the Stoke Mandeville Games had grown to include 11 British spinal injury organisations.

Australia first competed in what is now considered the first Paralympics in Rome in 1960. Australia's first gold Paralympic medal was won by Ross Sutton, and Australia's only female athlete at the games, Daphne Ceeney, won two gold, three silver and one bronze in swimming, archery and athletics.

From the early days of 16 athletes competing in one sport, the Paralympic Games have grown to include 4,200 athletes from 165 countries. This year 2.2 million tickets have been sold to the Paralympics, with the highest spectator turnout in the history of the games. Athletes will compete in sports such as archery, athletics, boccia, cycling, equestrian, football, goalball, judo, powerlifting, rowing, sailing, shooting, swimming, table tennis, volleyball, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair fencing, wheelchair rugby and wheelchair tennis.

Australia has selected 161 talented athletes competing for pride and country. To aid our athletes, we also have 144 staff making the trip, including three pilots to help vision-impaired athletes. Australia has athletes in 13 of the 20 sports, and South Australia has 13 athletes competing in the games this year. Some of these athletes have competed already and some are still awaiting their chance on the big stage.

Libby Kosmala of Klemzig has already received a mention this morning. She is competing in her 11th Paralympic Games. On previous occasions she has won nine gold and three silver medals for Australia. She is the only athlete to compete at the previous Paralympic Games when they were last in the UK, and we congratulate her for representing Australia in shooting at 70 years of age.

Gabriel Cole of Malvern will be competing in the 100 metre, 200 metre (T46) and the 4x100 metre relay. Gabriel has previously competed at the Delhi Commonwealth Games and last year won the 100 metre gold at the nationals. Gabriel will be partnered in the 4x100 metre relay with Langhorne Creek resident Michael Rogers. This will be Michael's second Paralympics after making the 1,500 metre final in Beijing. Michael will be looking to repeat this feat in both the 1,500 and 800 metres.

Nathanial Arkley will be competing in the 5,000 metre event. The young St Agnes man manages to balance his schooling and training and hopes to one day win a marathon gold medal. Felicity Johnson will be looking to go one better after winning silver in the one kilometre time trial in Beijing. The cyclist has held the second world ranking and won gold in the 2011 World Championships. Felicity will be competing with her pilot, Stephanie Morton. The pair has had a successful World Championship campaign both this year and last year, winning gold and breaking world records in the one kilometre time trials and 200-metre sprint.

Kieran Modra will be competing with his pilot, Scott McPhee, in the one kilometre time trial, individual road race, individual pursuit and individual time trial. Kieran is an experienced athlete, competing in Seoul, Barcelona, Atlanta, Sydney, Athens and Beijing. The pair won silver and gold at the 2011 World Championships. Kieran has already claimed gold in the individual B pursuit final, an inspirational achievement after recovering from a road accident in December 2011, when he broke three vertebrae.

Grace Bowman is looking forward to competing in her second Paralympic Games. After finishing fourth at the 2011 World Champions, both Grace—and I am told her horse—are eager to compete in various equestrian events at the games. I will rely on other members more familiar with horse craft to know how they know how excited the horse is about it—but I am informed that the horse is indeed very excited as well!

Nuriootpa's Rachel Henderson is a newcomer to the sport of goalball, but has had a rapid rise to the top. Rachel will celebrate her 20th birthday whilst at the games, and we wish her luck and a happy birthday. After Ferryden Park resident Jay Dohnt's bronze medal swim in Beijing, he was inducted into the South Australian Swimming Hall of Fame. He will be competing in London in the 100-metre breaststroke, 200-metre individual medley and 400-metre freestyle. Jay also hopes one day to swim the English Chanel. Esther Overton will be competing in the 50-metre freestyle and 50-metre backstroke. In 2011, Esther won bronze in the Para Pacific Championship, and she is looking to better her fifth and sixth finishes in Beijing.

Matthew Cowdrey is already one of the biggest names in swimming and, at 23 years of age, we hope that he will be successful for many years to come. I have already mentioned his 11 gold medals, including three at these games. In his third Paralympics, he is the most successful Paralympic athlete Australia has ever produced. After breaking five world records and claiming five gold and three silver medals in Beijing, Matt was named the APC's Paralympian of the Year. He is quickly matching these feats with his performance at these games.

We wish all of our Paralympians luck, and we congratulate them for being such great ambassadors for Australian sport. I am sure that many have been inspired by the achievements of these athletes. I hope that all members have taken some time to watch the coverage on ABC2. The show has been really well produced by the ABC, and I commend the ABC for that. We can always do better, but I have to say that there have been some spectacular and inspiring scenes during the coverage.

I also congratulate and thank the many hardworking parents and carers, partners and families who have supported our athletes in the journey to the games. Whether it be driving them to Little Athletics or flying over to London to support them in person, they, too, have sacrificed a lot to get those athletes where they today. I congratulate all those involved in the London 2012 Games.

I also note the ongoing work and support of those involved in the Special Olympics, which is sometimes forgotten in our focus on the Olympics and Paralympics. Every year many young Australian athletes, particularly with intellectual disability, rely on the Special Olympics to provide them with that sporting competition and opportunity for participation. I enjoyed the opportunity to go to the Medina Treasury a couple of weeks ago for the launch of the Special Olympics strategic plan. That organisation does a great job. We look forward in the years ahead to seeing it grow in stature and reputation from its already strong base. I hope all members will take every opportunity to support the Olympians, the Paralympians and the Special Olympians who are working and active and competing in our community.

Mr BIGNELL (Mawson) (11:59): I rise to support the member for Stuart's motion and also to congratulate all of our athletes at the Olympics Games and the Paralympic Games for the wonderful achievement of making a Paralympic or Olympic team. I also congratulate people on their individual and team successes over in London. Everyone who went to London did their very best.

One person who keeps on being missed out on the list of South Australian athletes is Emily Seebohm, who is obviously a South Australian. She was brought up in this state, but she had to move to Queensland to be with her swimming team, so she is ranked as a Queenslander—in much the same way, we have adopted Anna Meares here in South Australia. Emily Seebohm is a great South Australian swimming under the Queensland banner. I would like to claim her gold medal and two silver medals. If we then put that on top of the 13 per cent of representation of South Australia's share in the Australian medal tally, it looks even better than as was outlined by the member for Stuart. The member for Stuart lamented that he did not make an Olympics. I was fortunate enough to make two—once as a journalist in Sydney and then at the Beijing games I was there as a supporter of the equestrian team (not as an athlete, obviously, but I still did my best for Australia).

Mr Venning: There is time!

Mr BIGNELL: I think that maybe the Masters Games is more my style and pace now, member for Schubert. I also pay tribute not only to the team members and athletes but also to the members of the team over there in management roles, and to the many volunteers who go over there, in particular David and Julie Kavanagh from the electorate of Mawson. They are from McLaren Vale. They are keen equestrian people. Just as I saw them in Hong Kong for the Beijing games, they were over in London at Greenwich for the equestrian events.

I say thanks to the volunteers as well. I think the Sydney Olympics really put volunteering at the Olympics on the map. It was amazing how many Australians put up their hand to put on the volunteers outfit and to help visitors to Sydney and Australia find their way around Olympic venues and everything else. From what I have heard from people who have come back from London, what we did in Sydney has only been matched at this Olympics in London. The London volunteers did a very good job, and to David and Julie Kavanagh, and to all the volunteers, thank you for the wonderful work you have done.

To all the journalists who made it over there as well, it is a very tiring job. I think I averaged about 1½ to two hours sleep for the 15 days during the Olympic campaign in Sydney. If you are a journo worth your salt, you just do not want to sleep—there is stuff going on all the time. There are always stories to be had. I remember when Cathy Freeman won her gold medal in the 400 metres, I was there for that, sitting next to the head of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission. I was sitting next to him, having talked my way in, not having a ticket, to get his reaction as Cathy Freeman went over the line. I went back and filed that story and then went out and tracked down the woman who handed Cathy Freeman the Aboriginal flag with which to do her lap of honour. Any journo is out there and not just recording the events and reporting on them, but going the extra mile to try to find the stories behind the story. To all the journos, well done!

To anyone who knows anyone who went to the Olympics, whether as an athlete, a coach, a team manager, a volunteer or a journalist, just look out for them, because when you come back from an Olympics there has been such an enormous build up to it and it is such an exciting place to be around that, when you get back into your own town, lifestyle, job and everything else, it can be a large emotional let down. Just be aware of that. While people might think that they have just come back and have been at the Olympics, that they must be cock-a-hoop and on cloud nine, there is a period of time where people have to make that readjustment, so if you have someone in your family just keep an eye out for them and keep them buoyed.

I mentioned Emily Seebohm before: I must mention her parents, John and Karen Seebohm. John was born and brought up down in the South-East of South Australia, as was I. I am a Glencoe boy; he is a from Mount Burr and he played more than 300 games for Glenelg. John and Karen were always good to me as a teenager when I would go down and follow the Bays. Karen, in particular, would always get me into the WAG section at the footy, which is always pretty good when you are 13 or 14 years old, having the best seats in the house in the grandstand. All my mates were a bit jealous. Getting back to the point, to everyone in our Olympic and Paralympic teams: congratulations on not just what you achieved over there but also on the enormous amount of work over many years to get to that point. Congratulations!

Mr GRIFFITHS (Goyder) (12:04): I congratulate the member for Stuart on bringing this motion before the chamber. There is no doubt that all of us in this room are inspired by the commitment that these 47 people from South Australia have made to be selected on the Australian Olympic and Paralympic teams. While I in no way profess to having a level of broad information available to me about the individual names and different fields of endeavour that these people have pursued, I want to talk about four people in particular, and they come from the electorate of Goyder. I will talk first about David and Hayley Chapman, a father and daughter, and members of the Balaklava Pistol Club. David is actually a second-time Olympian, having shot at the Sydney 2000 Olympics in the 25-metre rapid fire pistol event.

I have spoken to David since he got home, at another pistol club function, and he was a bit disappointed, I must admit. He had built himself up, but he said he did not perform on the day, and he is frustrated by that, but he was just so inspired by the others around him and, indeed, by the fact that he was so amazingly lucky to have his own daughter, Hayley, there as part of the Olympic team.

Hayley also competed in the 25-metre pistol event as a first timer at the age of 20. She was coached by her father initially but has now gone on to some other coaching arrangements. It is a great story for regional South Australia that a father and daughter team from a town of about 1,500 people could commit themselves to such a level that they were good enough to be selected for our nation. I just marvelled at it.

When David told me that he was a bit embarrassed by his performance, I said, 'Don't be. You have got to where thousands have attempted to get but have not been good enough. You have been good enough since the late 1990s to be selected in the 2000 Olympic team, and you have carried through that expertise that you showed for another 12 years to be selected in your second Olympic team, so be very proud of what you have done.'

Mr van Holst Pellekaan: Sired a dynasty.

Mr GRIFFITHS: The member for Stuart says that he has sired a dynasty—it could be true.

Mr Venning interjecting:

Mr GRIFFITHS: The member for Schubert acknowledges that David's parents, who I have also met and who are very active in the shooting field, are also good people and still actively involved in the Balaklava club. When I went there probably two years ago—and I think the member for Frome was with me—they were generous enough to be our hosts and I really enjoyed the camaraderie. I enjoyed the opportunity to go to the Balaklava Pistol Club because they are good people and, I must admit, safety is absolutely paramount there. So, to David and Hayley Chapman, on behalf of the wider community I say congratulations. I hope that both of them continue for many years.

The next person I want to talk about is Will Godward. Will is an outstanding young man of about 28 who was born in Queensland, but his mum's family is from Moonta. Will, his mum and his sister moved back to Moonta, and I believe his sister lives in the Adelaide Hills, and I have met her too. I walked into a fundraising event at the Moonta footy club about two weeks before Will went overseas with the team, and it was to raise some money for him. Later on in the evening, we heard about the costs associated with dedicating your life to getting selected, the overseas travel that is involved and how he has to support himself. He is lucky to work for a very generous employer who gives him a lot of time off and who is also involved in the shooting industry.

When I walked in, I thought I saw a mannequin. He was doing a computer-generated shooting exercise, so nothing was actually discharged, and the score of the shot would show up on the computer screen. He was absolutely still and I thought it was a mannequin because he did not move for about five minutes. He was completely in the zone where the total focus is upon the target, and all there is is a movement of the head, a slight clearance of the thoughts and then back focusing on the next shot until you are absolute steady and comfortable and the next one goes off again.

He did this for about 15 minutes and, other than his head movement, it was impossible to actually see him move. He tells me that when he is in competition he stands like that for two hours, so the challenge is to keep the blood flowing through the legs so they do not go numb. The discipline that goes into the sport of shooting and the level of fitness, both physical and mental, that you must have to be good at the sport is amazing.

We had a crowd of about 150 people there, and the large number of very generous donations to assist Will with the cost for him to be an Olympic shooter (he is in the 10-metre air rifle section) was really good because it was the local community getting behind a local boy they are proud of—and I can tell you that the community is really proud.

I first met Will about five years ago on an Easter Friday at a Moonta rifle and pistol club function and it was obvious that he was focused then too. He had been brought to the club as a 12 or 13 year old, it was what he wanted to do in life and he has made it his own. I am amazed he has the time for a lady friend, but he does have a partner who must be a very understanding young lady.

Mr Pederick: You've got to be realistic.

Mr GRIFFITHS: That's right. It costs him a lot of money per year to do it, but he loves it and he is going to keep doing it, so all power to young Will Godward. I know he has the support of his community, and certainly Yorke Peninsula people were very proud of him being selected and competing well. The last person I want to focus on is, I think, the person with the most inspiring story I have heard in my life. It is Grace Bowman who has paraplegia and who is a second-time equestrian Paralympian. Grace's injury is as a result of a horse accident when she was 12. She has suffered not only that in her life but also she has suffered since with the loss of her mother first and then her father. Grace is only 22. She has two younger sisters.

Her dad was a teacher; a great man. She was in high school when her mother died in a horse accident where a horse reared from a horse trailer, fell back and crushed her; and her dad subsequently died, I think, two years ago now from prostate cancer. She is an amazing girl the community of Yorke Peninsula just love. She makes herself available. She does not see herself as a motivation but she is. She speaks to young people about what can be achieved in life when you actually focus on it.

For Grace horses have always been her love, and she has been so lucky that she has had some wonderful support over the years. However, she and her sisters have suffered emotional hardship with the loss of both their parents. Luckily her dad married a great lady not long before he passed away, so there is still some parental support there that exists not from her natural mum but for all intents and purposes from her stepmother who has taken on that role. I just want to say to Grace Bowman, 'I am so proud whenever I think of you', and I know that the people of the Goyder electorate and, indeed, anyone who has ever met Grace are nothing but impressed.

She is a beautiful young lady. She did very well in her matriculation. She will make a success of her life. She does not see being in a wheelchair as the end of her life: she sees it as an opportunity to prove what she can be. So, to Grace Bowman as one of the 47 members in the Olympic and Paralympian teams, I say, 'Congratulations to you, no matter what you achieve.' She sets very high standards for herself. Her level of commitment is unquestioned. For anyone who has ever met her, she acts as in inspiration to us all.

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (12:11): I would like to add my voice in support of this motion. Even as the Paralympics continue and our athletes strive to deliver the results that they seek in London in the Paralympics it is a nice time for us to reflect on what has happened in the Olympics in London and already in the Paralympics up until now.

Just from a purely parochial point of view, I think that we can all be proud of our South Australian athletes. A number of members here have pointed out that we are over-represented in the medal count, and that is an exceptionally good thing. When our population base is about 7 per cent of the country and we have got about 13 per cent of the medals there is nothing to be ashamed of at all; in fact, there is in fact a lot to be very proud of.

Even those members of the team who did not medal at all, you can see that there was no shortage of effort there. I got up early to watch Johan Linde, who works, of course, in Treasury and Finance and who is a boxer. He lost in the second round of the first bout up against the silver medallist from China in the Beijing Olympics, so it is nothing to be ashamed of at all. He put up an incredibly good effort. The commentators, who know a lot more than me, were very impressed with him. It is not for lack of trying or lack of effort. That is what the games are about. It is just giving everything you have got. I think that we can fairly say that all our South Australian athletes gave it everything they had and we can be, as everyone has said, immensely proud of them.

Along with half the country, I got up early and watched various events. I particularly remember getting up to watch Anna Meares. I was really pleased to see her beat Victoria Pendleton. The British had really hyped that ride and they were expecting Victoria to win that race. For Anna to take her out in two consecutive races was an incredible effort, and it was very good for Anna to be vindicated in that way.

Incidentally, she has adopted South Australia as her home. She raced for South Australia in the nationals just gone, which were held in Adelaide. She raced for South Australia. She lives, I think, in Mile End and considers herself a South Australian now. She has transplanted completely, so that is good.

The Hon. S.W. Key: Whose electorate is she in?

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: I couldn't tell you whose electorate she is in—probably West Torrens, I would think, if she lives in Mile End.

Mrs Geraghty: Croydon?

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: It could be Croydon. I am sure she has been doorknocked by the member for Croydon if she lives in Croydon. That takes us, of course—

The Hon. S.W. Key interjecting:

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: Does she? In Ashford? There you go.

The Hon. S.W. Key: West Torrens.

The Hon. T.R. KENYON: West Torrens it is. We had great results. A number of members have already outlined them and I will not go over them again, but it was very pleasing to see. We should never underestimate the contribution of coaches. Sport gets more and more professional and that means there is more and more support staff attached. They rarely get the glory, or even a mention sometimes. A number of coaches have come from South Australia and, in fact, we had three SASI coaches—Jason Lane (rowing), Nathan Luce (canoeing) and Nikolay Zhuravlev (trampoline)—selected as Australian team coaches at the 2012 Olympic Games. SASI head cycling coach, Tim Decker, was selected as part of the Australian Sports Commission's travelling coach professional development group, with participants being identified as future Olympic coaches.

We thank them for their contribution and assistance with the team, and they are to be commended for their work. Of course, they are all striving for their own professional development and looking to make their own contribution to Australian sport, and they have certainly done that.

Members have made mention of the members of the Australian Paralympic team from South Australia, and there are a number of them. I was very fortunate to see Matthew Cowdrey win a gold medal on Friday night. It was an event that inspired a lot of pride in me to see him achieve as an Australian and a South Australian. I look forward to seeing how he goes in the couple of races he has left (I think he has two races left) and whether he can push further than he already has. He is already Australia's most successful Paralympic athlete and it would be good to see him drive that even further over the next few days, the last few days of the Paralympics.

I was particularly impressed by the Paralympics because, by definition, there are extra challenges to be overcome. It is not a matter of just participating as hard as you can. There are challenges in your everyday life that have to be overcome before you can even step up to your competition. It complicates your travel and your arrangements. Olympic athletes, I think, display a great deal of courage just to be there and to compete, and that is an inspiring thing from my point of view. I find it is easy to be weighed down by things you perceive to be negative in life but, to see these people being so positive, so goal-focused and orientated and so fully committed to what they are doing, is an inspiring thing.

I was very privileged to be able to be there to see a few events and very proud to represent South Australia and pass on the good wishes of the South Australian community to the athletes that I met and also to the parents and supporters they have. In the Olympics, of course, family plays a very strong supporting role but I think that is magnified in the Paralympics. The supporting role of parents and family in the Paralympics is even greater still because of the extra challenges that they face in life, and it is hard not to commend them and thank them for that and to reflect on that selflessness on their part.

I am very happy to support the motion. I look forward to the last of the Paralympics and watching the last few days of competition, and I am very pleased to be able to support this motion.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (12:18): I also rise to support what is clearly a very good motion. I would have thought that there would have been no objections whatsoever from anybody in this place. I am not a passionate follower of the Olympics but I do note with interest the various events and results as they come through. I have probably taken more interest in the Paralympics this week than in the actual Olympics themselves. I think those in the Paralympics go to extraordinary lengths to get there and actually achieve.

I do not want to go through the long list that other members have gone through but, as the member for Goyder said, I have always watched with interest the career of Grace Bowman and the tragedies that have gone on in her life. The fact that she has got to where she has, to me, is an enormous inspiration. There is Matthew Cowdrey; I, probably along with others, heard his father on the radio this morning. He was very much a quiet, unassuming sort of fellow and obviously very proud of what his son has achieved. He said that he had never looked back since the day he was born, so clearly he has the initiative to get where he has. He has had an amazingly successful games.

It would also appear that the British have put on an amazing two events. As a matter of fact, my niece and her husband were at the Paralympics a day or two ago. She had heard on the rumour mill (it thrives even better over there than in South Australia, actually) that those sitting up the back could not see a thing. Well, she and her husband sat at the back and they saw everything quite clearly. She said it was absolutely brilliant watching the track and field and other various things that took place.

On another note, I was interested to listen to Anna Meares when she came back to Australia after the Olympics. With her pretty laid-back approach to life, she was looking forward to having some time out. In fact, she is a guest speaker at a fundraiser in my electorate in a couple of weeks, which will be good, and I look forward to speaking to her.

Mr Odenwalder interjecting:

Mr PENGILLY: She is coming to support an education fund, to speak on that. She had committed to it before she went to the Olympic Games, so—

Members interjecting:

Mr PENGILLY: Well, we might make it a fundraiser for me. Seriously, the member for Stuart has brought a good motion to the house, and I look forward with interest to all members supporting it and getting on with it.

Mr PEDERICK (Hammond) (12:21): I rise to support the motion of the member for Stuart that this house congratulates all the South Australian athletes for their selection in the Australian team for the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. I acknowledge the efforts of all these Olympians and Paralympians over the years: the early-morning starts and the relentless training they have to go through to make sure that they are at the peak level at the right time to do their best for the nation.

It is always amazing to see these young people and the training they go through and the commitments they have to make around work and family. Certainly, there is a huge support team behind them all, whether it be family or coaching staff. It is just so good to see not only the success we have had at the Olympic Games but also the enormous success we are having at the Paralympic Games. We saw Matt Cowdrey notch up his 11th gold medal—a championship performance.

As members have said previously, to see what the Paralympians do to get through their events is absolutely fantastic. One thing I do enjoy watching is the Paralympians playing basketball in those chairs they are in. They crash and roll over, then pick themselves up or get picked up, and away they go again, and—

Mr van Holst Pellekaan interjecting:

Mr PEDERICK: I will leave that! I think it is fantastic to watch these people in that event. I would like to talk about James McCrae, a Murray Bridge boy. He did very well in these Olympics in the quad sculls, winning a bronze medal. He and his crew were fourth in Beijing, so they are stepping up the ladder. He still young enough—I believe he is only about 25—to go a long way yet in the Olympic Games and hopefully get a gold at the next one.

I was just informed by my staff that James was an under 12s ruckman for the Ramblers in Murray Bridge, in the football club, and that he could have made a great footballer. I am sure he could; he is about as tall as I am although a little bit slimmer, as you would expect in a rower. He has made an excellent choice in chasing his rowing career, not that I doubt that he would have made a great footballer. I know his mum, Chris, was over in London and she would be immensely proud of his achievements. I ran into James when we had the welcome home parade at the Adelaide Town Hall and he is a very unassuming lad, which is a good thing. He has obviously achieved a lot as have all the Olympians who competed and, whether they won a medal or not, just to get to that level is an amazing achievement, whatever field you are in. I congratulate all our Olympians and Paralympians and wish them all the best now and into the future.

The Hon. I.F. EVANS (Davenport) (12:25): I want to contribute quickly in support of the motion moved by the member for Stuart. I will not go into all the detail of the Olympians as others have because that has already been mentioned in the debate, but for all the reasons outlined by other speakers, I want to support this motion. I particularly want to mention one of the South Australian divers, Rachel Bugg, who is a family friend. We have watched Rachel grow up into a magnificent young woman, and she took up diving at a young age after some success at gymnastics. Her father and mother are involved in Diving SA at the most senior level and encouraged her in the sport.

At one stage she was wavering as to whether she would continue with the dream. To her great credit, and to her parents' great credit, she decided to commit again to the sport, and move to the training program in Brisbane. She won her way into the Olympic final and dived in the synchronised swimming 10-metre platform event, and dived a personal best coming a very credible fourth. I know Rachel would have loved a medal of any kind but to go to the world's best event and do your personal best, you cannot do any better than that. I want to put on the record that, while I am proud of all the South Australian contributors, I particularly want to recognise Rachel's magnificent contribution and dedication to the sport, and pass on my congratulations for her efforts.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN (Stuart) (12:27): It is a great pleasure to move a successful motion in this place, and as shadow minister I very genuinely appreciate the support of the minister, all of my colleagues and all of those opposite. There is no doubt that we are at one in this motion in a very genuine fashion, so I thank all members for their contribution. I highlight that, perhaps, the member for Morialta was more generous than he needed to be in some of his comments but that was very good of him.

I would also like to recognise the member for Mawson's comments about Emily Seebohm, and I think that that is very important. There is always some difficulty in who we claim. He is quite right that she is originally a South Australian and I think it is appropriate to mention her in the way that Anna Meares was not originally a South Australian. We are very proud to claim Anna Meares and, of course, Emily Seebohm is welcome back any time she likes.

The Hon. R.B. Such: What about Julia Gillard? She is South Australian.

Mr VAN HOLST PELLEKAAN: Member for Fisher, I was talking about Emily Seebohm. With regard to the medal count, I would also like to highlight that, in the Olympics, our nation finished 10th in the medal count and so far in the Paralympics our nation is ranked fifth internationally in the medal count. Again, that speaks volumes for our Paralympians and our Paralympic program, and I think that it is absolutely outstanding that we can be so proud of all 47 of our athletes who have gone away to represent us at both games.

I would like to refocus very briefly on the fact that we admire and revere them all equally, and whether they compete at the Olympics or the Paralympics, they are on exactly the same pedestal, and that is because they provide us with heroes, and heroes are exceptionally important in life, and I do not mind where heroes come from. It is very appropriate that our heroes, in some cases, should be our family members and in some cases should be friends. We can have heroes in business, we can have heroes in art, and in medicine. We can have heroes in politics, and we can have heroes in sport, and I think that is absolutely fantastic. Our heroes in sport may be able-bodied or they may be otherwise, and I think it is fantastic that we have got to that stage. We have a way to go, but I think we should all be very proud of the fact that that is exactly how we feel, and that we can pick who our heroes are going to be based on their personal characteristics and not necessarily on their physical attributes.

Let me just wind up, Mr Deputy Speaker, by thanking all those athletes, their coaches, supporters, families, friends and administrators for representing us so well in London.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

Motion carried.

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