As committed in the 2019-20 Budget, the ACT Government is donating $200,000 to the Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia 2020 Tokyo Team Appeals, as well as providing an additional $100,000 in training grants for eligible ACT athlete.
The ACT Government has supported the past three Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, London and Rio, and it is great to be supporting the 2020 Tokyo Games.
With just under 150 days until the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, this donation will help the Australian Olympic Committee prepare the Australian Olympic teams and athletes in the lead up to and during the Olympics.
The ACT Academy of Sport will also continue to support athletes over the next few months to get them ready to compete in trials in the hope to be selected to go to Tokyo.
Canberra has a unique status as the home of elite sport through the Australian Institute of Sport at Bruce and the ACT Academy of Sport.
Canberrans have a close relationship to elite athletes in the ACT because they’re so accessible to the community through school programs and as neighbours around town and that’s why the government is committed to supporting them through this funding.
I wish all the athletes the best of luck at this year’s Olympic Games.
ACT athletes have also been sharing the Olympic spirit with primary and secondary schools through the Olympics Unleashed Program.
In 2019, athletes involved in the Olympics Unleashed Program inspired 5,800 students at 35 schools with messages around self-awareness, motivation and goal setting as well as the benefits of living an active and healthy lifestyle. So far, 13 schools have registered for the program in Term 1, 2020.
Quote from Matt Carroll AM, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Olympic Committee:
“The ACT community loves its sport so our partnership with the ACT is a natural fit. Olympians offer something special that goes beyond sport. More than 100 Olympians have offered to assist in rebuilding community spirit in fire-affected areas on the eastern seaboard. Olympians certainly believe in giving back.”
