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Olympic and Paralympic Games 2024

Published on: August 2024

Record: HANSARD-1323879322-143972

Olympic and Paralympic Games 2024

Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (16:59:57):

I move:

That this House:

(1)Congratulates our Australian Olympic team for their fantastic, record-breaking performance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

(2)Wishes the best of luck to our wonderful Australian Paralympic team in the upcoming Paralympic Games.

Gold to Australia! Go those amazing water polo girls! Go those high jumpers! Go those pole vaulters! They are amazing. Waking up every single day has been gold for Australia. It has just been amazing. When we announced the public interest debate today, we got text messages from people from across the Chamber, saying it is about time we had a very positive debate supported by everybody. I look forward to those on the other side arriving in the Chamber for this debate. It has been a mega record-breaking effort for our Aussie Olympians. It has been absolutely amazing, with a record 18 gold medals. Nina Kennedy in the pole vault, Keegan Palmer skateboarding, Matt Wearn in laser sailing, who became our flagbearer, and our men's track cycling team with two bronze on that four-gold day were amazing. There were four gold medals to wake up to in the morning.

We were on the podium for 22 sports, and New South Wales celebrated 12 of the gold medals in the games. Female athletes won 13 of our gold medals in Paris. The Fox sisters from Blaxland High School were amazing. Jess was sensational. She won back-to-back gold in C-1, second gold in C-1 and gold in the K-1 canoe, and then Noémie won gold in the canoe cross. Just seeing Jess and her mum jump into the water with Noémie sums up the joy the family has surrounding their athlete. This brings tears to my eyes. Emma McKeon from the Illawarra won a gold medal in the 4 x 100 freestyle, silver in the 4 x 100 medley and bronze in the 4 x 100 mixed medley, which bettered Ian Thorpe's record of the number of gold medals won over the course of an Aussie athlete's career. What a legend.

Saya Sakakibara won gold in BMX racing. Originally from the Gold Coast, she moved to the Illawarra, part of the New South Wales crew. She crashed in Tokyo and, sadly, did not qualify for the final. We send love to her brother Kai, who suffered a brain injury just after the World Cup in 2020. But to come out and win gold in Paris was amazing. Arisa Trew, our 14-year-old legendary skateboarder, is our youngest ever gold medallist. As a nation, we should be so proud.

Mr Clayton Barr:

Get that girl a duck.

Ms LIESL TESCH:

Absolutely. These amazing athletes deserve to be celebrated, and I am really proud that the Premier has announced a welcome home event in Tumbalong Park on 13 September to welcome home both our Olympians and Paralympians, and it gives us as the general public an opportunity. I know it is a prop, but members need to check out my green and gold fingernails and keep living our green and gold and enjoying the experiences. I thank the NSW Institute of Sport [NSWIS], which has done us proud in producing a pathway for future champions. I thank everyone involved at NSWIS. They have had 24 New South Wales scholarship holders as Paralympians. I had the privilege of being one of those scholarship holders back in the day. This inspires a new generation. Athletes get on the press afterwards and speak, like Jessica Hull, the first woman in Australia to win a 1,500-metre race. She sold her sport to the next generation. It was amazing.

There is an inspired group of young track athletes from the Central Coast. I am an absolute fan of Nicola Olyslagers, with silver, and Eleanor Patterson, her teammate, who got bronze. Getting those two medals is a record for the Aussies in the high jump. The Stingers, Opals and Hockeyroos were amazing. I acknowledge that it is a major journey to the games. It is important for regional athletes, because they take their communities and their towns to the games with them. There were so many fans, families, volunteers and friends of regional athletes—and of athletes in general—at the games, cheering them on. I thank everybody who takes that journey with their athletes. I thank the journalists who reported to us. I also thank Woolworths, which I do not usually thank in Parliament, which ran a fantastic inclusive campaign, promoting both our Olympians and our Paralympians.

It is not long to go until the Paralympics. They have two weeks to clean out the Paris Olympic Village before they move the Paralympians in. From 28 August to 6 September will be Paralympic glory. Hopefully our Aussies will beat their medal tally from Tokyo, where they got 21 gold medals, 29 silver, and 30 bronze. The pressure is on. We are competing in 10 of 17 sports. I encourage everyone here to buy a seat online to support our Paralympians. I thank the Minister for Sport, who not long after we came into government came out and matched the previous Government's commitment to the Olympians with a commitment to the Paralympic movement. The Paralympic movement has never got equitable funding. This is the first State in Australia to provide equitable funding for the Paralympic movement. We have 160 athletes: 90 male, 70 female. Twenty-seven of them were born overseas, and 61 will be making their Paralympic debut in Paris.

A really important part of the Paralympic movement is the Paralympic talent identification pathways. Fifty‑four of the athletes will be there because they have been identified in "come and try" opportunities across communities, for people with disabilities to get involved in sport. I am excited to be involved in the commentating for Stan Sports. I will be getting up early in the morning to tell Australia what is going on there. We have a lot of favourites, including Central Coast favourites Dylan Littlehales in the canoe, KL3 class, and Rowan Crothers and Ella Jones in swimming, but also Central Coast athletes in a lot of team sports.

I had the joy of being part of the National Wheelchair Basketball League grand final on the weekend. We have 12 sensational guys going over to the Paralympics with the Rollers, which will be amazing. Our rugby team will be challenging the best of the best and hopefully bringing home a gold medal. The Olympic and Paralympic games bring smiles to our faces. They bring a joy different to the State-against-State, mate-against-mate competitions. While Paris is amazing and we got a record number of medals, the journey is to 2032 and other home games in Sydney. Bring it on.

The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Jason Li):

I thank the champion member for Gosford, a celebrated Paralympian in her own right.

Ms ELENI PETINOS (Miranda) (17:07:06):

I join with the member for Gosford in bringing to the House's attention the extraordinary efforts of our athletes in Paris, as they celebrated our most successful Olympics in history. I am sure every member in this place has watched the highs and the lows of the Olympics. We celebrated the athletes of our electorates, and all joined into the spirit of unity, of overcoming obstacles, of celebrating achievements and the general inspiration that the Olympic Games bring to each of us. So many athletes from New South Wales brought us joy. But before we get to some of the highlights from New South Wales I highlight that Australia finished these games in fourth place, with 53 medals. That is 18 gold medals, 19 silver, and 16 bronze. The incredible thing is that, of the 18 gold medals, 13 were won by women. There were only eight gold at one point, and they all had been won by women. When Cam McEvoy won his gold medal in the 50 metres freestyle, I was so excited not only for him but also to see the men on the board for gold, as well.

We all loved the Dolphins. They were incredible. As the member for Gosford said, the Fox sisters were incredible. We are so proud of our homegrown talent. It would be remiss of me not to highlight some of the favourite stories from the New South Wales team in the Olympics. Who can go past Jess Fox and her incredible two gold medals. She is our first Australian to win six individual Olympic medals, and now she has surpassed the group of Ian Thorpe, Liesel Jones, Shirley Strickland and Anna Meares, who all won five. It was an incredible effort. It was remarkable to see her win both of her main kayak events. It was an amazing story when her sister Noémie won that third category in the games and beat Jess in the kayak cross. Those sisters are an absolutely incredible story. I look forward to celebrating them, along with many others, when the athletes return tomorrow.

Emma McKeon has an incredible Olympic record for Australia. She is Australia's most decorated Olympian. She has won 14 medals across three games. That is extraordinary. I know we all enjoyed watching her race more in Tokyo, but it would be remiss of me to not acknowledge the incredible legacy she has left behind. She is an incredibly humble athlete from the Illawarra. We are incredibly proud of her efforts. Rounding out some of the female achievements, I highlight Saya Sakakibara. Her story made everyone so incredibly emotional. I loved watching her win, knowing that she crashed out in Tokyo and overcame many obstacles. She was racing for not only herself but also her brother, with his number. Watching Kai in the stands, watching his sister's victory, was amazing.

I have loved each and every minute of the Olympics. I am a little bit sad we do not have as much to watch on TV anymore. Our athletes are some of the most inspirational people around. I recognise that a former Paralympian is a member of this place. The member for Gosford plays a really special role in highlighting not only the spirit of the Olympics but also the spirit of the Paralympics. I hope all members join with me to celebrate our Paralympic athletes in the same way that we have celebrated our Olympians. I know it will be an incredible two weeks of following them in Paris.

There were 118 New South Wales athletes in Paris. That is incredible, particularly when only 460 Olympians from the entire country get to go. Basically, a quarter have come from our State. We could not be prouder of them. There have been so many sports, so many triumphs and so many stories that we all have bought into. I loved seeing the Opals win their first medal since London. I have enjoyed seeing everyone join in the spirit of unity. It is something that we need to embrace more in this place. I thank the member for Gosford for moving this motion. Sport is a great unifier for communities. We will all be cheering on our Olympians when they come home and our Paralympians as they take on the fight in Paris.

Ms KYLIE WILKINSON (East Hills) (17:09:05):

What a great result, fourth in the world! We are certainly punching above our weight. The Australian Olympic team set a national record, with 18 gold medals, 19 silver medals and 16 bronze medals, totalling 53 medals from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It was absolutely marvellous. The games are not only a showcase of the world's best talent, but also a testament to the resilience, determination and spirit that define Aussies. From our local parks and sporting fields, all the way to the world stage, our athletes carried with them the hopes and dreams of an entire nation. What a journey it has been.

We know the success of an athlete is never achieved in isolation; it takes a community. I congratulate all the sport administrators who gave volunteer hours to ensure our Aussie athletes could compete on the world stage. I thank all the coaches, who plan and guide every step of an athlete's development, combining technical expertise and motivation to help them reach the highest levels. I congratulate also the family and friends who offer unwavering support, encouragement and love. They are there for the early mornings and late nights, and through every victory and setback. They provide the foundation that allows the athletes to focus entirely on their goals. I thank them.

Finally, I congratulate our athletes. I hope they all know that they have done us very proud. They have been part of a wonderful event which they will cherish for the rest of their lives. One athlete I would like to acknowledge is a former Panania resident, 19-year-old Abbey Lee Connor, who showcased an incredible performance in the 200-metre butterfly race at the Paris Olympics this month. Abbey's journey to the Olympics began with her debut at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Hungary. At the Paris Olympic Games, Abbey Lee Connor placed seventh, behind another Aussie, Elizabeth Dekkers, who placed fourth, narrowly missing the podium by 2.02 seconds. Competing in what is arguably one of the most challenging swimming disciplines, butterfly, Abbey has not only represented her country, but also inspired countless others with her dedication and spirit. Abbey has made us all proud with her Olympic journey. We wish her continued success and all the best in future competitions.

I have been involved in sport all my life, playing internationally and at world cups. I know there is nothing like it. I recently attended the Touch World Cup, where Australia won in many divisions. Touch rugby is another sport where Australia punches well above its weight. Touch would be great for the Brisbane Olympics as it is played in more than 50 countries around the world. It leads the way in equality for women, with a long history of both men and women competing. As the Paris 2024 Olympics end, I reflect on my memories of competing at world events and the friendships I made with not only teammates but also competitors from other countries. It was great to be part of the celebrations at the end of the tournaments and I am looking forward to celebrating with the New South Wales athletes on 13 September at Tumbalong Park.

The Olympic Games will inspire new generations of Australians to join a team, play a sport or take up a new physical activity. This season, it will be wonderful to see an increase in the number of participants at local sporting grounds and athletics clubs. Young people have seen what is possible with hard work, determination and a bit of Aussie grit. They witnessed their heroes rise to the occasion and will now dream big, knowing that they can achieve greatness.

Sport plays an important role in our communities. It unites us, brings us joy and fosters a sense of belonging. It teaches us valuable life lessons about teamwork, perseverance and the pursuit of excellence. We must continue to support and invest in sporting programs, ensuring that every young Australian has the opportunity to reach their full potential and create lifelong friendships. We wish the Paralympians the best of luck in the upcoming games. I look forward to celebrating their success as well. The Olympians have made us all incredibly proud. They have shown the world what it means to be Australian and have written a new chapter in our nation's sporting history. We celebrate with them and thank them for inspiring us all.

Ms FELICITY WILSON (North Shore) (17:17:07):

I congratulate our Australian Olympic team on their recent efforts and wish the Australian Paralympic team all the very best in the upcoming Paralympic Games. I did bring a prop into the Chamber if the Temporary Speaker will indulge me for today. This little mascot was brought to us before the Olympics so parliamentarians could all get invested and involved. Members and all Australians have gotten behind our athletes, watching the late night and early morning events and getting involved. The Olympic Games are one of the most prestigious and revered sporting events in the world. They embody the pinnacle of human athletic achievement. They provide a stage where athletes can showcase their talents and extraordinary feats of strength, speed, skill and endurance.

The stories of the Olympics are about not only the medals, but also the determination and perseverance behind every performance. They are stories of athletes who overcome obstacles and push beyond their limits to achieve their personal best. Just competing in the Olympics is a monumental achievement. It is a moment of glory that represents years and years—often a lifetime—of relentless effort and sacrifice from the athletes and the people they love. The 2024 Paris Olympics have come to an end. They were the most successful games in Australian history. We won 18 gold medals, 19 silver medals and 16 bronze medals. That is an absolutely amazing achievement for our athletes across a variety of sports and disciplines. I know we can do even better when we get to Brisbane.

Locally, my community was represented by four Olympians. I acknowledge their incredible efforts. I congratulate Neutral Bay local Michelle Bromley, who competed in the team table tennis. Her team was unfortunately knocked out by the Chinese Taipei team. I congratulate Mosman local Rowena Meredith, who sensationally claimed a bronze in the 2020 Olympics and finished eighth in Paris as part of the Rowsellas women's quad sculls.

Excitingly, two of our young Mosman locals won a silver medal as part of the Australian Stingers water polo team. Tilly Kearns and Sienna Green were part of the first Australian side to reach the final since the class of 2000. I know there was a lot of talk about Ilona Maher on the socials—and I love her too—but members had to follow Tilly and Sienna on social media to know everything that was happening in the Olympic village. After defeating three‑time defending champions the United States of America 14-13 in a thrilling shootout on Friday morning, they played Spain on Saturday night in the gold medal match. I know so many people were up late to watch that one. Before that game, it was clear to all of us that the Stingers felt they had already achieved immense Olympic success, judging by their wide smiles as they walked onto the pool deck. It was heartbreaking for so many of us to see them suffer the 11-9 defeat to Spain, but those girls can hold their heads high and be proud of winning that silver medal; they are our silver Stingers. I congratulate the whole team, particularly Tilly and Sienna. Our community is incredibly proud of their Olympic efforts. Particularly, the Queenwood school community is incredibly excited to see Tilly's success.

I extend a huge congratulations to our entire Australian Olympic team. There were so many highlights. I spent a lot of time watching different events with my kids—often on the replays, as the live events were not conducive to their bedtime. My community loves rugby, and it loved watching the women's sevens. The Australian team did a phenomenal job in its campaign. We loved watching the Dolphins in the swimming. Some of the newer sports offered highlights, such as the BMX—the member for Miranda spoke about Saya Sakakibara in her contribution—and the skateboarding. A personal highlight was the breaking. I have no idea how anyone can do it. My kids loved it. I was excited by "Raygun". I love that the world is going crazy for her, because I am going crazy for her. I am a Macquarie alumna and she is at Macquarie; I hope I get to meet my hero one day.

Whatever our athletes were doing across myriad sporting events—whether they were swimming, running, riding a horse, sailing, diving or cycling—we were proud of them for taking part. We are looking forward to Los Angeles 2028 and even more excited that the Olympics will be on home soil in Brisbane in 2032. I know the member for Auburn will be happy to back me up when I say we need to add netball to the Olympics for Brisbane. Lastly, I acknowledge the member for Gosford and wish our Paralympians all the best as they compete in the upcoming games. My kids and I were watching some of the teasers for the event and they were profoundly astonished—I could see it in their faces and hear it in their utterances—at everything these elite athletes had overcome to get on that global stage. Considering the inspiration our Paralympians provide, I know we have many more exciting stories still to come.

Ms LYNDA VOLTZ (Auburn) (17:22:17):

Certainly the New South Wales parliamentary netball team has turned up to the Chamber in full force tonight to acknowledge the Olympics in this debate. This year our best ever Olympic team included 469 members across 33 sports, with an astounding 239 debutants. Some sports do not get mentioned, but they should be. Our badminton team included Tiffany Ho from New South Wales—who attended Strathfield Girls High School in the electorate of the Temporary Speaker—as well as Angela Yu and Setyana Mapasa. Unfortunately, Tiffany came up against a tough United States opposition in the singles but achieved an excellent result teaming up with Angela Yu in the mixed to defeat India. I say well done to our badminton team.

For the benefit of members, I will list our Olympic hockey players from New South Wales: Blake Govers from Wollongong, Flynn Ogilvie from Woonona, Grace Stewart from Gerringong, Grace Young from Grafton, Jocelyn Bartram from Albury, Ky Willot from Newcastle, Lachlan Sharp from Lithgow, Mariah Williams from Parkes, Matthew Dawson from Killarney Vale, Thomas Craig from Lane Cove, and Timothy Brand from Chatswood. It proves not only the depth but the breadth of hockey in New South Wales. It is a tremendous result for Hockey NSW. Those players left nothing on the field. We are always immensely proud of our hockey teams, as we are with all our Olympians. I also give a big shout‑out to Peter Boukouvalas from Georges Hall—in the electorate of the member for East Hills—and Laura Paeglis in the archery mixed team. Often the archery guys do not get a mention, but they should.

The athletes I have named are a few of the outstanding athletes who made up our Olympic team. While we may run out of superlatives praising the efforts of the 469 members of the team, I also acknowledge the thousands and thousands of volunteers that make our Olympic team possible. Behind the love of swimming is the mum, dad or grandparent getting up in the dark to make sure the athlete gets to the pool; the trainer at the pool in the wind and cold with their stopwatch; and the Aussie swim teachers that often spend all day in a pool teaching kids and adults to swim. I thank every single one of you. Behind every Matilda, Opal or rugby sevens player are thousands of local community members who get everyone out on the park every weekend—the coaches, managers, line markers, canteen staff and the long‑suffering referees and touchies. Behind every Olympic team are those who selflessly give their own time to ensure every boy and girl has an opportunity, whether it is just to make friends and get some exercise or dream of chasing an Olympic spot. I thank them all—this is their Olympics too.

While sport is a unifying pursuit that we all adore, unfortunately it sometimes can be marred. It was unedifying to watch the pursuit by many in the media of the boxer Imane Khelif. However, it was brilliant to watch the Algerian community and the women boxers coming out to have her back. As with Caster Semenya before her, she should never have been in this situation. I ask anyone who has a daughter to imagine their red-hot anger if this had happened to her.

The other unedifying incident were the comments, again by sections of the media, regarding the breakdancing of Rachael Gunn, known as "Raygun". Many members in this Chamber talk to schools in our electorates. The message I always send to children during those talks is to always put their hand up. Opportunity goes to those who have a go, which is exactly what Rachael did. She put her hand up and gave it a go. Unlike many in this country, she will forever be an Olympian and part of Australia's best Olympic team. I say well done to the Australian Olympic team members, and particularly Anna Meares, for getting in behind Rachael and getting hot under the collar at the reporting. I would have thought the fact that Rachael competed with typical Australian humour and the type of self‑deprecation that Australians could take a gold medal for speaks for our hedonistic Australian character as much as anything at the Olympics did. It should have been celebrated by the national press.

While members make speeches in this debate today, I remind them that the race is only half run. On 28 August our Paralympic team will take to the Stade de France. Of course, we should not have favourites with the Australian team, but I give a big shout‑out to Tim Hodge and Ricky Betar, who will be representing Australia in the pool, and to all the team at the Ruth Everuss pool in Auburn, which does such a great job. To our goalball team—made up of Michelle Rzepecki from Redfern, Amy Ridley from West Pymble, Brodie Smith from Maitland, along with Jenny Blow and Meica Horsburgh—I say have fun and play hard. Our goalball team placed fifth at Tokyo after a countback; I am putting that team down as one to watch at these Paralympic Games. I am sure everyone in Australia will be joining in. If they have not done so, I urge them to go the Paralympics Australia home page and join the official cheer squad for team green and gold.

Mr JAMES GRIFFIN (Manly) (17:27:35):

I thank the member for Gosford for bringing forward this public interest debate on the Olympic and Paralympic teams. How beautifully French the games were—chic, stylish and absurd. It was difficult at times to watch the opening ceremony with a five‑year‑old son and four‑year‑old daughter to explain to them what was going on, but from the masked torchbearer to the athletes entering via the River Seine, it was an amazing French opening ceremony that certainly set the scene for what was an amazing games. As members have said, it was Australia's most successful Olympics, which is something to behold.

I thank the members for the electorates of Gosford and Miranda for holding the Parliamentary Friends of the Olympic and Paralympic Movements event before the games kicked off. It was a wonderful precursor to remind all of us in this place of what was to come. But even the CEO of the Australian Olympic Committee could not have given us an indication that we were about to watch our most successful games. I thank the members for bringing the Olympics to all of us in State Parliament; we really appreciate that parliamentary friends group.

As members have said in this debate, everyone had their own special moment, person or team they wanted to cheer for. For me, it was Jess Hull's silver medal win in the 1,500 metres. That is a very hard distance. It might not look like it today, but in high school I fancied myself a 1500-metre runner and all I remember was that it was a very difficult distance. To knock over silver is an amazing effort from Jess Hull. The Fox sisters did an amazing job. But for me, it was the Stingers, the hard-charging, take-no-prisoners Australian women's water polo team who dispatched the United States and then pulled a silver against undefeated Spain.

The Stingers were a powerhouse driven by two wonderful northern beaches athletes. Bronte Halligan began her water polo journey at the Sydney Northern Beaches Breakers. In 2014 at 17 years of age, while still a student at Stella Maris College in Manly, she was selected for the Aussie Stingers team. She went on to further her water polo career in the United States at the University of California, Los Angeles, and eventually made her Olympic debut in 2020 in Tokyo before collecting a silver this year. Also from the northern beaches is Sienna Hearn from Manly. She made a wonderful effort. She began her water polo career at the age of seven with the Sydney Northern Beaches Breakers water polo club. She rose through the ranks as a junior before eventually making her national team debut for the Stingers at the 2022 World League Intercontinental Cup in Peru. Since then, she has had a dominant run of form, competing on the world stage at the 2024 world championships in Doha and the Paris Olympics. Manly and the community are incredibly proud of Bronte and Sienna.

I note the member for Auburn's comments. We must shout out and tip our hat to Anna Meares, an amazing chef de mission who transitioned from a leading cyclist in her own right to head up the Olympic team. She has done it with aplomb; she dealt with many serious issues and did it superbly. Well done to Anna Meares. Let us hope she continues in that role for many Olympics to come. I also importantly acknowledge the words and sentiments of the president of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, who essentially said that against this global backdrop of turmoil and challenges, which never really seems to go away, the Olympics provide us with a moment around the world to take a step back, have a circuit breaker and reflect on humanity.

People might roll their eyes and dismiss sport from time to time, but it is an international language, it is a great leveller and it is a great opportunity for people to shed a tear. Sometimes, somehow, sport gets into a person when they are watching it, and it does a wonderful job. I think this Olympic Games, as Thomas Bach said, was about peace and unity, and it certainly delivered that. I thank the member for Gosford for bringing the public interest debate forward. It was an amazing Olympics, and I think we have all thoroughly enjoyed watching it. The last words I must say are: Let's go, Paralympics!

The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Jason Li):

Thank you, member for Manly. It is nice that the Olympics has brought a moment of unity to the public interest debate as well.

Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (17:32:37):é

In reply: Oui, je suis d'accord, Mr Assistant Speaker. Bonne soire, tout le monde. Farewell to our Olympians and the Parliamentary Friends of the Olympics and Paralympics in the New South Wales Parliament. It was fantastic. The member for Camden got a photo with Raygun, who visited us in the Parliament. It is fantastic what we can do in this Parliament. I thank my co-host, the member for Miranda. Celebrating the first eight out of eight medals as a woman in sport in Australia was amazing. Seeing the importance of family with Saya Sakakibara racing for her brother in the stands was also amazing.

The member for East Hills referred to the connection with family. The friendships and relationships made around the world when travelling is absolutely incredible. As the member for East Hills said, Australia definitely punched above its weight and New South Wales punched above its weight. I thank the sports administrators and coaches who helped so many of our athletes get on their journey. The member for Auburn referred to the volunteers that get all those young people onto the fields on a journey of fitness and wellbeing, which is super important, but also on a journey to the Olympics and Paralympics.

The member for North Sydney referred to young people in her community. The Stingers definitely have a home on the northern beaches and the North Shore, as we heard from the member for Manly. We also heard the stories of determination and of overcoming obstacles to push beyond limits. I also reflect on that lifetime of sacrifice that belongs to our Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The member for Auburn mentioned sports that did not get a mention, which is also really important because every single person on that team of 469 members are phenomenal human beings.

I reflect on the friendships and relationships. Bridie Kean was a young Paralympian who got her leg signed by an athlete in this Chamber to say, "One day you will be a Paralympian too." Bridie and I played together at the Paralympics, and I introduced her to the president of the International Paralympic Committee, who was an English wheelchair basketball player in Rio. Bridie is now going into the Paralympics in Paris as the assistant chef de mission. It is just beautiful to see the journey from aspiring to be an athlete to being an athlete, to post-athlete and what one can be. I know Bridie will be at the welcome home event at Tumbalong Park on 13 September. Bonne chance to our Paralympians. It is an incredible journey from being selected to the uniform arriving—sometimes athletes love the uniform, sometimes they do not, but it is absolutely fantastic—to the thrill of deciding whether or not to go to the opening ceremony. I know it is life-changing. Lots of our family and friends will be there. I thank the House for indulging this beautiful commitment to the Parliamentary Friends of the Olympics and the Paralympics and to the Olympics and Paralympics movement in Australia.

The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Mr Jason Li):

The question is that the motion be agreed to.

Motion agreed to.