Sport in Australia is supported by around 1.7 million volunteers who donate their time to sporting clubs and competitions around the country [1].

These people fulfil roles as diverse as coaches, officials, team managers, administrators, committee members and more, and without their valuable support many of our budding young champions wouldn’t get to start their sporting journeys.

Twenty-five year old Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) athlete Kim Crow began competitive rowing six years ago. Kim manages a busy schedule working as a lawyer (having graduated from her double bachelor degrees of media/communications and law), as well as a rigorous elite training schedule in the lead-up to the London 2012 Olympic Games.

But what many people don’t realise is that Kim also donates a significant amount of her time promoting her sport and giving back to her local community. This has involved volunteering for the Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal, public speaking and becoming an impressive role model at many local Melbourne schools and junior rowing camps.

‘I love being involved in a variety of projects because I know how lucky I have been throughout my life, and I am glad that I can give something back, although I wish I could do more,’ Kim said.

The majority of Kim’s volunteering is focused around her beloved sport of rowing. Kim is an Olympic Education Ambassador, Problem Gambling Ambassador and is part of the Athlete Legal Aid Committee. She was part of the Melbourne University Sport Association Executive (2009-10) and has worked on various projects to support the Australian Olympic Committee and Melbourne Rowing Week.

Kim says that she grew up in a family and school that valued helping others.

‘I try to help whenever I am asked. I particularly love any volunteer work that involves inspiring young active women to achieve their dreams because I would not be where I am today if it was not for the positive female role models such as my mum [Sue Crow, a pioneering female in sports administration, and currently general manager of community at Melbourne Heart Football Club] in my life.’

Kim’s rowing career has already consisted of many highs.

‘I think my greatest sporting achievement was representing Australia at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and winning a silver medal in the double sculls at the world championships in 2010.

Kim’s dream is to win an Olympic Games gold medal, but she has no plans of slowing down when it comes to her sporting and volunteering commitments.

‘Volunteers are fundamentally critical to sport in Australia. If it had not been for my parents raking the long jump pit at my little athletics competitions, and the coaches who gave up their time to coach me as a kid, I would not have been able to participate in half the sports I did growing up.

‘My current goal is to get more of my fellow AIS athletes to help me to partner with a local charity organisation (or create our own) and run fortnightly sporting sessions for disadvantaged groups throughout the Canberra community.’

The Australian Government has committed to supporting Australia’s volunteers in sport through the development of a national sport volunteer strategy. The strategy aims to provide a vision and priorities for sport volunteering in Australia in order to attract more volunteers, and assist in supporting them. To find out more about the Australian Government’s national sport volunteer strategy, make an enquiry at the link below.

[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics, Voluntary Work, Australia, 2006, report number 4441.0, p. 40