From how it felt to attend (or miss out) on the Opening Ceremony and the joy of having crowds at events, to the reality of not always winning and how many Weet-Bix can be consumed in one sitting – no topics were off-limits when a group of Australian athletes and sports administrators shared their experiences from the recently completed Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
The webinar, presented by the MCC Foundation and its community partner, the Sports Excellence Scholarship Fund (SESF), delivered behind the scenes insights from the Games as well as advice on event preparation from some of Australia’s most awarded athletes.The panel of guests included:
- Lauren Scherf, 2022 Commonwealth Games Bronze medalist, 3x3 Basketball
- Mack Horton, 2022 Commonwealth Games Gold and Bronze medalist, Swimming
- Bec Henderson, 2022 Commonwealth Games competitor, Racewalking
- Ellie Cole, Australia's most decorated female Paralympic athlete, Swimming
- Matt Haanappel, 2012 Paralympic Gold Medalist, Swimming
- Ashleigh Brennan, 2006 and 2010 Commonwealth Games Gold medalist, Gymnastics
- Anne- Marie Harrison, CEO of Victorian Institute of Sport
Click the video above to watch the full 1-hour conversation, or you can also view it here.
Since 2021, the MCC has partnered with SESF to contribute financially to support bursaries for students who are chosen to represent their state or country but whose financial circumstances would otherwise prevent them from participating at these Championships.
The Fund serves to remove financial and emotional barriers, preventing young students from low socio-economic, Indigenous or rural and regional backgrounds to play represent their state or country.