Australian Sports Medal Presentations to Special Olympics World Games 2019 Team Members

Special Olympics Queensland Committee Member, Mr Hugh Mackay; State Coordinator Queensland, Special Olympics Australia, Ms Kimberly Lawley; Head of Sport & Competition, Special Olympics Australia, Mr Terry Visscher; Athlete Leadership Coordinator, Special Olympics Australia, Mrs Susie Bennett-Yeo; Special Olympics Team Members; your invited guests; ladies and gentlemen, welcome.

I begin by acknowledging the original custodians of the lands around Brisbane, the Turrbal and Jagera people, and extend my respectful greetings to Elders, past, present and emerging.

I am extremely proud, as Governor of Queensland and Joint Patron of Special Olympics Queensland, to be presenting some very fine people here today with the Australian Sports Medal.

Each of you has done your State and your nation proud, as Special Olympics Queensland Team Members who attended the Special Olympics World Games in 2019.

The Special Olympics is the world’s biggest humanitarian sporting event, focusing on the empowerment of People of Determination with intellectual disabilities through sport.

The games were held in March 2019, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in March 2019, for the first time in the Middle East and North Africa region since the movement’s founding over 50 years ago.

You have proved yourselves to a global audience, and many thousands of your peers; not to mention your many supporters, friends and families who I’m sure were already extremely proud of you, well before your Special Olympics journey began.

Over 7,000 athletes from over 170 countries competed across 24 sports in front of half-a-million spectators at the 2019 Games.

Australia was represented by 105 athletes competing in 11 sports: Athletics, basketball, bocce, bowling, equestrian, football, golf, gymnastics, sailing, swimming and tennis.

They were supported by 35 volunteer officials.

Notably, Special Olympics Queensland provided 32 athletes and 18 of those officials.

Over the course of the week, Queensland athletes won 24 Gold medals, 19 Silver, 23 Bronze, and also recorded eight 4^th placings, eight 5^th placings, two 6^th placings and a 7^th placing.

Martin Smith competed in Gymnastics and came home with the largest individual medal tally, 3 Gold, 2 Silver and 1 Bronze, also giving him Gold overall.

I would also like to acknowledge the five athletes who represented Special Olympics Australia that have already been presented with their Australian Sports Medals and who are not with us today. 

I urge you to wear these Australian Sports Medals proudly and remember what you are capable of achieving with persistence.

And savour the joy and companionship that sport provides, whether you are competing or participating in some other way.

Congratulations to you all.