Australians with a flair for sport are being offered the opportunity of a lifetime. A nationwide talent search aimed at finding future stars for Brisbane 2032 gets underway next month.
The Future Green and Gold campaign will be Australia’s greatest ever talent search, designed to unearth the next generation of sporting champions and fast-track them to the elite level.
This is the first time the high performance sector has come together to deliver a talent search. The Australian Institiute of Sport (AIS) has partnered with all state institutes, Paralympics Australia and more than 40 major sports including cycling, rugby, para canoe and para snow.
The future stars will follow in the footsteps of hundreds of Australian Olympians and Paralympians who were discovered through talent programs such as Alyce Wood (kayaking), Jacob Clear (kayaking) Paige Greco (para cycling) and Ameera Lee (para archery).
More than a third of the 2024 Australian Paralympic team were found through talent searches.
Executive General Manager of AIS Performance Matti Clements said this campaign aims to maximise Australia’s chances of international success.
“We have an ambitious goal to have the best Olympic and Paralympic team ever in Brisbane and to achieve this we need to significantly boost our current talent pool, in particular our para athletes” Clements said.
“Off the back of Australia’s success in Paris, this is the best time to leverage that passion and encourage eligible Australians to put their names forward.”
The search will target Australians aged 13-23 (for Olympic sports) and 13 plus (for Paralympic sports). No prior sporting experience is required.
The opportunity will also be on offer to current athletes looking to transition to a different sport, joining the likes of Tara Rigney who transferred from netball to rowing and Danielle Scott who switched from gymnastics to aerial skiing.
Eligible participants will be invited to their closest clinic where their strengths and skills will be measured. Those who demonstrate potential will undertake a trial with a recommended sport before being offered a position within a Talent Development Program.
The Future Green and Gold campaign aligns with the existing talent identification programs underway across the State Institutes and Academies and is supported by the Australian Olympic Committee.
Over the coming weeks the talent search team will be on the ground in each State and Territory searching for the next crop of green and gold athletes.
AIS National Athlete Identification and Development Lead Dr Annette Eastwood said: “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for people that could lead to representing Australia on the world stage.”
“We are looking for a wide range of skillsets so I encourage all eligible Australians with Olympic or Paralympic dreams to come and give it a go!”
“It is our job to find hidden talent and unlock that potential – you may be a former gymnast who is perfect for cycling, or new to sport entirely. All are welcome.”
The campaign kicks off in Adelaide in early October. More information about the Future Green and Gold campaign can be found here.
