Joanne Ryan (Lalor, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak about Morgan Mitchell, an incredibly talented young woman who, I am proud to say, hails from the electorate of Lalor. With Cathy Freeman as a mentor, a thousand-megawatt smile and tonnes of talent, a less grounded athlete might get a big head. However, Morgan's beautiful family has kept her grounded. In news reports it has been said that Morgan's mum begged her to 'please just come home the same person' from Rio.

Alongside Jess Thornton, Anneliese Rubie and Caitlin Sargent-Jones, Morgan did her country proud in the 4 x 400 relay. All of them were first-timers at an Olympic Games and they made the final. The Australian athletics team has not done that since 2000. The last time, our friend Nova Peris ran in the 4 x 400. I was proud to see Morgan Mitchell have the same honour.

Like many other kids, Morgan started her career in Little Athletics, and she has always been an incredibly talented sportswoman. At 17 she played in the under-19s Australian netball team and represented Australia in the IAAF World Junior Championships. Her humility and hard work are an inspiration to everyone in the electorate. We are proud of our national champion and we are proud of her efforts as an individual and as part of the team in the 4 x 400 relay team.