Gold Coast Academy of Sport pleads for funding to survive

Queensland’s Olympic decade could be off to a horror start as a sport academy headed by a Games legend pleads for government cash to survive.

Queensland’s Olympic decade threatens to get off to a horror start, with a major sports academy pleading with the State Government for cash to survive.

The Gold Coast Academy of Sport, run by 1984 Olympic gold medallist Glynis Nunn, relies on council and business support to provide almost two dozen sporting programs to young athletes.

The two-person, “run on a shoestring” academy is now demanding financial certainty with Nunn hoping the 2032 Olympic Games will end a decade of begging and finally prompt the government to provide cash.

She said the academy was surviving on the generosity of Gold Coast sporting organisations and businesses.

“I get on my hands and knees and beg; it’s just a matter of trying to get people to see value in what we’re doing,” Nunn said.

“With 2032 we just want to inspire the community to get kids out and chasing a dream of going to a home Olympics.”

In 2019 the State Government pledged $506.4 million over three years as part of its 10-year strategy to put more Queenslanders on the path to a home Olympics.

Glynis Nunn with Ashmore Little Athletics kids (from left) twins Zoe and Erik St John, Ella Cosgrave, Anika Lemusu, Ellie Eckstein and Blake Eckstein. Picture: Nigel Hallett

The Gold Coast Academy of Sport has missed out on the cash splash despite Nunn making the case to several sports ministers to explain what service it provides.

“They all say it’s fantastic, but we’ve got no funds,” she said.

“In New South Wales and Victoria, where the Olympics aren’t going to be held – and NSW has 11 regional academies – they give those academies half a million dollars each.”

The academy offers about 20 sporting programs to young athletes, however, the lack of government support means costs, which could top $200, are passed to parents.

“There are some families that aren’t in a financial situation to afford that sort of thing,” Nunn said.

She fears without subsidies the cost of sport could result in dozens of children missing out.

“Sometimes we find out about it and other times we don’t,” she said.

A Department of Sport spokesman said the Queensland Academy of Sport was the government’s high performance agency for elite sport.

“QAS currently supports over 80 nationally identified athletes across a range of Olympic and Paralympic sports who are based on the Gold Coast,” he said.

“We recognise that the Gold Coast region is a strong nursery of talent and, as such, will be significantly increasing our technical support in the areas of science, medicine, data and technology to athletes and coaches in the region as we work towards Paris 2024.

“The QAS has met recently with the Gold Coast Academy of Sport and is discussing opportunities to align complementary strategies, recognising that it is a great opportunity to work more closely together in the future.”