State backing for Rio Olympics

LAST week’s column was based on the story on development of the Noosa Civic Shopping Centre.
Sadly, there has been negative response from quite a few small businesses in the area.
I’ll stay off the Civic today, rather talk about its developer and former owner Mark Stockwell.
Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of going to the 1 Year Out From Rio Olympic Fund-raising event at Parliament House in Brisbane.
The 1984 Olympic Silver medallist is the chairman of Rio Fund-raising campaign, he’ll be joined by Sydney Gold medallist Natalie Cook, ’88 Bronze winner Julie McDonald and other high achievers in the sport and business fields.
Their cause of raising $1 million was helped greatly by a massive $450,000 donation by the host of event Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.
I stood proudly as the Premier read out an who’s who of former winners, and the reason why the State Government is fully behind next year’s team.
That team will number 462 with two modern pentathlon athletes already named. That, I am sure, will please Noosa Triple Olympian Alex Watson.
The sport has five disciplines fencing, freestyle swimming, pistol shooting, running and Alex’s favorite show-jumping.
More so, in the list of eight athletes the Premier mentioned all but only Kieran Perkins was from the city.
Mackay’s Cathy Freeman and Susie O’Neill, Toowoomba’s Nicki Hudson, Maryborough’s Larry Sengstock, Rockampton’s Kenrick Tucker and Innisfail’s Jon Sieben are just some of the country bred stars.
It gave me great pleasure to boast to my fellow Olympians about how many locals the Coast could have in Rio, and more so on the Gold Coast 2018.
In case you are unaware, the Coast has 21 swimmers in Russia at present, two going to the world athletics titles, four to the world kayak titles and Montville Archer Ryan Tyack helped qualify the Aussie team for Rio.
This time next year, the Sports Federation will be hosting its usual welcome home from the Games.
We had 10 in London, and aiming for 20 for the Gold Coast.
In following this, the Federation will be hosting its own breakfast on Friday 21 August to celebrate and recognise our local sports industry.
This is the first time, local sports/clubs/organisations will be rewarded for their excellence in delivering sport.
If you don’t know, for most clubs that’s a full time 12 months job.
Noosa’s Jordan Mercer continues her golden form with another big win at the World Paddleboard Titles in Hawaii.
This delightful lifesaving star is a terrific representative of her sport, and especially the local area.
Could I suggest to council, she would make a good ambassador?
And no doubt there are others too who perform on the world stage and deserve the honour I am suggesting.
I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to September’s annual jazz festival.
Judging from the early ads, it looks like an action-packed event again.
Locals must be shaking their heads as we have just wound down from the terrific long weekend, which knocked them dead again.
Until next time.