Brisbane 2032 Olympics board tours Townsville to explore future opportunities

Olympic legends and the board for Brisbane 2032 Olympics have converged on Townsville to inspire our next generation of sporting superstars.

Dreaming of Olympic gold, Townsville’s next generation of athletes like Phoebe Beimans have received valuable inspiration from past and present sporting legends to compete in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Raised by a family of runners, Phoebe, 6, is a member of Townsville North Stars Athletics Club, whose specialty event was the cross country.

Emboldened by her success in her school’s event, she looked forward to bringing home a winning ribbon, and possibly competing at the Brisbane 2032 games in the future.

She was all ears during an interactive education program for local junior athletics club members led by North Queensland Olympians including Patrick Johnson, the only Australian to break the 10-second barrier for the 100m, Townsville’s beach volleyball gold medallist Natalie Cook, and water polo player Elle Armit.

Phoebe Beimans, 6, with an Olympic medal won by Brooke Hanson. Picture: Evan Morgan

The sporting heroes were joined at the Townsville Sports Precinct on Thursday by the Board of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Organising Committee and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk as part of a two-day schedule of events, culminating in a board meeting.

In its first visit to a regional co-host city outside south east Queensland, the board will also tour Queensland Country Bank Stadium, meet with First Nations peoples, and hold a community business leaders’ event.

Committee members, Olympic athletes Ellie Armit, Brooke Hanson and Monique Murphy, Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Evan Morgan

International Olympic Committee member John Coates. Picture: Evan Morgan

Queensland Country Bank Stadium was proposed to host soccer matches, and Townsville was also in line for pre-games events, including athlete training.

Acknowledging that regional Queensland had produced some of Australia’s greatest Olympians and Paralympians, Ms Palaszczuk was pleased to be in Townsville to showcase all of the advantages from this “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.

Brisbane 3032 Olympic Committee at the Townsville Sports Reserve. Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Evan Morgan

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk fires off a starting pistol. Picture: Evan Morgan

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill will address the board to promote local regional tourism and economic opportunities.

“Townsville offers a vast range of natural assets and sporting infrastructure that could be enhanced with equitable investment to not only support the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane, but further strengthen our ability to sustain the development of athletes from remote and regional communities,” Mrs Hill said.

Originally published as Brisbane 2032 Olympics board tours Townsville to explore future opportunities