Olympic gold medal swimmer Ian Thorpe backs campaign to recycle plastics
Move over Bindi Irwin, former Olympic swimming gold medallist Ian Thorpe is moving into environmental crusader territory.
Confidential
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Ian Thorpe: wildlife warrior. Move over Bindi Irwin, former Olympic swimming gold medallist Thorpe is moving into environmental crusader territory.
“The water has been really good to me so it is my time to give back to the water as well,” Thorpe told Confidential.
“Knowing the amount of plastic waste that is going into the ocean, only 9 per cent gets recycled.”
Thorpe, 36, flew home to Sydney yesterday after a summer holiday in the Bahamas.
Capitalising on the Sydney International this week and the Australian Open in Melbourne next week, Thorpe and Adidas will host a special tennis event at Bondi Beach today.
“I have just been on this amazing holiday and you realise around the world we have these incredible places,” he said.
“Bondi is such an important place to the Australian identity and it is things like this that should really be the motivation and the incentive for people to want to be involved and see how they can reduce their own amount of plastic consumption.”
Thorpe is an ambassador for Adidas and its collaboration with Parley Ocean Plastic, using recycled materials in clothing.
“We use what would end up becoming marine plastic waste and turning it into new products,” he said.
Organisers will drain the famous Icebergs pool to set up a temporary tennis court where celebrities including Jesinta Franklin, Ana Ivanovic and Beau Ryan will have a friendly hit.
“I am terrible,” Thorpe said of his tennis skills. “I will probably be umpire.
“I can’t serve any more. I literally can’t throw the ball straight up because of my shoulder surgery so that will put me at a disadvantage.
If I can get it over the net, I think I will be sweet.
“I used to be able to play tennis. It is not really my sport though.”
Originally published as Olympic gold medal swimmer Ian Thorpe backs campaign to recycle plastics
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