Geoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise in the House this afternoon to speak on the upcoming Olympic Games and, in particular, the outstanding achievement of the Tasmanian competitors who will represent this proud nation in London for the 30th Olympiad. The London Olympic Games will bring together over 10,000 athletes from more than 200 countries to compete in over 30 different sports. This is in stark contrast to its humble beginnings. In the first modern Olympics, held in Athens in 1896, around 300 male athletes from 15 countries competed in nine sports. This demonstrates how the games have evolved, grown and developed over time into a worldwide celebration of sporting success. The Olympic movement has a great history.

Pierre de Coubertin, the man credited as being the founder of the modern Olympics, summed it up well. He was of the belief that participation in sport helped form the character of young people, and I could not agree more. I have seen firsthand the positive effect that sport has on people, both young and old, through my involvement with football, tennis, netball and surf-lifesaving. Participation in sport develops great qualities that all Australians can benefit from. The Olympians selected for London exemplify these qualities, such as commitment, dedication, sacrifice, determination, resilience and the will to win. Regardless of the sport, all Olympians can stare adversity in the eye and take it head-on, 100 per cent. The exceptional men and women selected for the games will uphold the hopes and dreams of their nation and will do so with diligence, sportsmanship and pride.

I make the House aware that it is an exciting time in Tasmania at the moment. My island state is on track for having a record number of athletes competing in the Olympic Games. This outstanding achievement is another example of Tasmania, including my electorate of Bass, punching well above its weight in the sporting arena, with the likes of Ricky Ponting, David Boon and Daniel Geale having represented their state and country with distinction. I congratulate the 11 Tasmanian athletes that have so far been selected for the games from a diverse range of sports, including rowing, boxing, cycling, hockey and athletics. With a number of teams still to be announced, I am confident that the state will produce over 15 Olympians.

I particularly mention the selected athletes from my electorate of Bass. Hockey player Tim Deavin has been selected for his first Olympics, and Richie Porte and Matt Goss are likely to gain selection in cycling. In addition to this, Tasmania will be represented by three inspiring athletes in the Paralympics in the sports of sailing, athletics and cycling.

As the members of the House would be aware, the Gillard government is committed to supporting our elite athletes as well as investing in grassroots programs around the country. An example of this can be seen with the Prime Minister's Olympic Challenge and Prime Minister's Paralympic Challenge. These two projects encourage participation in sport. In addition to this, the Gillard government has invested heavily in the Active After-school Communities program. This is a proven a success, with 190,000 children participating in this excellent program. I was fortunate enough to attend an Active After-school Communities session at Trevallyn Primary School in my electorate. It was a very satisfying experience seeing the kids engage and work on the skills and qualities of future Olympians. These programs are just a snapshot of the opportunities that this government is providing to young Australians to develop their skills in sport.

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games provide a special opportunity to inspire Australians, particularly young Australians, to be more active and play sport. As members of parliament we should encourage our communities to be active, to promote good health and wellbeing. Surf-lifesaving, netball, football, hockey, swimming, tennis, yoga—the opportunities are immense. I congratulate the athletes selected to represent this proud nation and wish them every success in Olympic glory.