Deadly serious side to SEQ’s Games bid

He’s one of our most recognisable Games heroes, and he says a successful Olympic bid will mean more to Queensland and Australia than just tourism dollars.

FOUR-time Olympian and hero of the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games marathon Robert de Castella says an SEQ 2032 Olympics and Paralympics would galvanise kids the length and breadth of Queensland.

De Castella, who established the Indigenous Marathon Project in 2009, says his sports profile garnered in the Olympics and Commonwealth Games has opened doors to get programs going to help young people, particularly in indigenous communities.

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A Queensland Olympics would spur more kids to take up an active lifestyle, as well as helping to uncover homegrown ­future champions.

“I was involved as an athlete in Brisbane in 1982 and saw the transformation that occurred in Brisbane as a city,” de Castella said.

Robert De Castella wins the Brisbane Commonwealth Games marathon in 1982.

“The pride that Australia exuded by having such a successful Commonwealth Games and then the Sydney Olympic Games, it was just an order of magnitude greater.

“All of Australia was walking so tall and so proud.

“If we can find ways to instil that across the whole country, that flows on to so many other initiatives, whether it be in education or in business or in the arts or in sport.

“You’ve got to have that self respect and pride to take on challenges in your life.”

He said the Olympics was the chance to change lives across Australia, particularly in disadvantaged communities.

“We’ve been working now for the last 10 years in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities across the country from remote communities to country and regional areas to the cities,” de Castella said.

“We use running to promote a healthy lifestyle, but it’s more about empowering and creating strong leaders and building pride and achievement.

“It never ceases to amaze me that I go to some of these most isolated and remote communities and the parents and the grandparents of the group that we’re working with know who I am.

“Through the Olympics and Commonwealth Games and through what I did as an athlete, there’s this immediate affinity and connection with the old people in the community.

“And that then gives the community confidence to allow us to come in and work with their youth.

“It just has the opportunity to create amazing role models and leaders.

Rob de Castella today. Picture: Sean Davey

“You look at Cathy Freeman, who’s absolutely idolised all around Australia but especially across indigenous communities.

“It gives people like myself and Cathy a platform for us to once we finish running to really address some really important fundamental issues that our country needs to resolve and we’ve been grappling with for a long time.

“It’s an opportunity for us to develop a whole range of initiatives and programs and opportunities.

“It’s not just about trying to identify the next indigenous Olympian. We’ve got quite a few, and that in itself is a tremendous goal.

“But it’s also an opportunity for us to address a lot of the other health issues, the diet and the physical activity and through that we address the chronic diseases of diabetes and renal failure and heart disease, and all of those lifestyle related illnesses.”

Originally published as Deadly serious side to SEQ’s Games bid