The Modern Athlete - Changing Sport and Society

ABOUT THE EVENT:

The modern athlete: changing the world and society. COVID-19 continues to shape a new world order locally and globally. In this world of uncertainty that we are living in today, the Olympic Games are even more relevant than ever. The Olympic athletes show the whole world that it is possible to compete with each other while living peacefully together.

Join our expert panel for an insightful conversation on the future of sports as we brave the new world.

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

Bronwen Knox: 
Triple Olympian, Bronwen Knox first debuted on the Olympics stage at Beijing 2008 where she scored 12 goals to be the tournament’s third-highest goal scorer. In her third Olympic Games she was named as the captain of the Australian women’s team. A versatile player with an equal amount of skill and intelligence in the pool, she has played out many different scenarios and is somebody any team would love to have on their side during major international tournaments. After making her Aussie Stingers debut in 2005 in a Canberra test match against Tran Tasman rivals New Zealand, Knox has become a crucial part of the Australian team. Competing at the highest level for over a decade, Knox currently has her eyes on a place in the Australian Olympic Team for her fourth Games.

Peter Bol:
Peter Bol is currently Australia's leading 800m runner after a dominant domestic season in 2021 which saw him record the fastest 800m time by an Australian on home soil. Peter commenced his athletics journey at 16 after an athletics school carnival. Within a couple of years, in 2013, he won the national junior 800m title in a PB 1:48.90. He recorded his first sub-1:48 in 2014 and sub-1:47 in 2015.In 2015 he moved to Melbourne to be coached by Justin Rinaldi and train alongside National Record Holder, Alex Rowe. 

Sharni Williams OAM:
Sharni Maree Williams OAM is a female Australian rugby union player. She has played in the centre position for Australia, Brumbies and 2008-2012 Canberra Royals. She won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. She was awarded ACT Rugby Rookie of the Year 2008 and Australian Women's Player of the Year 2010. Williams made the transition to rugby sevens in 2011, earning a spot in the Australian Women’s Rugby Sevens team where she played every leg of the Women's Sevens World Series from its inception in November 2012.  Williams was co-captain of Australia's team at the 2016 Olympics, defeating New Zealand in the final to win the inaugural Olympic gold medal in the sport.

About the facilitator: 

Tracey Holmes 
Tracey Holmes is an award-winning senior reporter/presenter focusing on the politics, governance and business of sport. She was Australia's first female host of a national sports program — ABC Grandstand — after starting as a specialist broadcast trainee in the late 80s. She has anchored, reported and commentated from many of the world's biggest events, including 12 Olympic games. She has a Master of Communications degree and is currently completing a Master of Laws at the University of Melbourne.