The Illawarra was well represented in Paris at the 2024 Olympics and how we should celebrate our athletes was on the agenda at the August Wollongong City Council meeting. Photo: Solen Feyissa on Unsplash.
Wollongong City Council will investigate how best to recognise more than a dozen Illawarra athletes who represented Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Outgoing Lord Mayor Gordon Bradbery put forward a mayoral minute at his final council meeting in August.
The minute proposed the council work with the Illawarra Olympic and Paralympic Fundraising Committee to recognise our 2024 Olympians and Paralympians on the commemorative wall at Lang Park.
It also recommended the council investigate other opportunities to recognise local athletes who have and will compete at the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games.
The motion was met with enthusiastic support by other councillors.
Councillor Cameron Walters suggested, that where appropriate, the council might hold community events to celebrate the achievements for individual Olympians with strong support from their suburb.
“If anyone was in Helensburgh a week ago they’ll know what I’m talking about,” he said.
“When Saya Sakakibara finished half a second in front the whole community was right behind her.
“It was a great day; it put Helensburgh back on the map; it was a bright, shining moment.
“Saya is back in the next week or so and I think it would be fitting to have an event in that area.”
Saya Sakakibara is a 24-year-old from Helensburgh, and this year became the first Australian BMX racer to win Olympic gold.
Councillor Janice Kershaw supported the mayoral minute, but had an addition of her own to make.
The meeting was also Cr Kershaw’s final one, and she wanted to make sure all athletes from the Illawarra who represented Australia on a world stage were recognised.
“I want the council to also discuss with Special Olympics Illawarra opportunities to recognise our Special Olympians, past and future,” she said.
“The Special Olympics is the largest sporting organisation in the world for children and adults with an intellectual disability.
“Just like the Olympics is held every four years – the most recent one was in Berlin in 2023.
“We have a number of residents who are Special Olympians and it’s time we recognise their achievements.”
The mayoral minute, along with the amendments proposed by Crs Walters and Kershaw, was carried unanimously.
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