National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a powerful reminder of Australia’s shared history and our ongoing journey towards reconciliation. It’s a time to reflect, learn and take action, honouring the resilience, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The theme of NRW 2025, Bridging Now to Next, urges all Australians to unite in advancing reconciliation. It calls on us to learn from the past, take action in the present, and build a more inclusive future.

National Reconciliation Week - 27 May to 3 June

Bridging Now to Next

#NRW2025

In sport, as in life, reconciliation is a team effort, and we acknowledge the immense contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes who have shaped Australia’s sporting legacy and inspired generations.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes have long set the standard for excellence in Australian sport, consistently breaking barriers and inspiring generations. Their achievements go beyond medals; they represent strength, resilience and the power of culture in shaping the world stage.

Paralympic pioneer Kevin Coombs OAM broke new ground in 1960, earning selection on the first Australian Paralympic Team to compete at the inaugural Paralympic Games in Rome, making him the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian Paralympian.

At the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, Percy Hobson (high jump) and Jeff Dynevor (boxing) made history as the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes to win Commonwealth Games gold.

In 1984, Peter Kirby became the first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian Paralympian to win a gold medal, paving the way for future champions. Tracey Barrell OAM made history in 1992 as the first Aboriginal woman to win Paralympic gold, while Nova Peris OAM became the first Aboriginal Australian to win Olympic gold in 1996.

Cathy Freeman OAM’s victory in the 400m at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games was a groundbreaking moment in Australian history. As the first Aboriginal Australian to claim an individual Olympic gold, her achievement ignited a sense of pride, unity and hope.

These triumphs are just a glimpse of the remarkable contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Olympians, Paralympians and Commonwealth Games athletes who have inspired generations to dream bigger.

Sport has long been a powerful vehicle for reconciliation, bringing people together, fostering respect, and showcasing the strength of diversity.

Since 2021, Australian sport leaders, including the Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia, Commonwealth Games Australia, and the National Institute Network, have come together to issue a collective statement outlining a shared commitment to advancing reconciliation.

As organisations dedicated to sport and its unifying force, we recommit to amplifying the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes, ensuring their stories are told, their contributions valued, and their pathways supported.

In 2024, the system released the Connection to Country Action Plan as part of Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Win Well Strategy (Win Well Strategy). Developed by the Win Well Strategy Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group, the Action Plan provides practical guidance for HP organisations to establish programs to enhance their Connection to Country.

Our vision is a high performance system that actively includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures, and histories. Through storytelling, cultural awareness, integrity, and accountability, we aim to elevate their voices in sport. We commit to annual progress reviews to ensure meaningful and lasting reconciliation.

Reconciliation is a shared journey, and sport has the power to drive change. Together, let’s celebrate the power of sport in reconciliation and continue working towards a fairer, more inclusive Australia.

Reconciliation Statements

2021 Reconciliation Statement

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for learning, for sharing, and for celebrating the diversity of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ cultures, histories, achievements, and knowledge.

This year’s theme is More Than a Word: Reconciliation Takes Action.

The theme encourages us to reflect on our current contribution towards reconciliation, and how we can work towards righting the wrongs of the past, to effectively move forward.

Our organisations currently run several reconciliation initiatives, which focus on elevating Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples voices and addressing issues of inequality, including:

• The Australian Olympic Committee Indigenous Advisory Committee,
• The Sport Australia Barkly Region Project,
• Paralympics Australia’s Indigenous Uniform and Branding,
• The Australian Institute of Sport Share a Yarn Initiative,
• Commonwealth Games Australia’s Reconciliation Action Plan Development, and
• Several partnerships, relationships, and programs driven within the National Institute Network.

While these initiatives are positive, we understand sport can play a more powerful role in the promotion of reconciliation and reduction of inequality in Australian society. We also recognise, in working collaboratively, sport can more meaningfully contribute to reconciliation.

As such, the sporting network including – the Australian Institute of Sport, Sport Australia, the Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia, Commonwealth Games Australia, ACT Academy of Sport, NSW Institute of Sport, NT Institute of Sport, Queensland Academy of Sport, SA Sports Institute, Tasmanian Institute of Sport, Victorian Institute of Sport, WA Institute of Sport – have come together to unite sport and provide more substantive action on reconciliation moving forward.

We hope through this shared statement, we can:

Embrace the opportunity to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories knowledges, and experiences, so we can effectively move forward as a sporting community.

Pay true respect to Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands and Waterways.

Provide employment opportunities to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples including current and past athletes across all sporting industries.

Share learnings and resources relating to current and future initiatives.

Support the continued development of Reconciliation Action Plans within this sporting network.

Improve the procurement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander goods and services across the network.

Create a more culturally aware, inclusive, and safe environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples across all areas of our operation and performance.

Ensure our organisations are more reflective of the communities we represent.

This joint statement acts as our commitment. A commitment, that as organisations in sport, we will take further, braver, more substantiative action towards reconciliation, and that we will do this together, as a unified network for the benefit of all in sport, and Australian communities.

This statement has been developed in consultation with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Elders, Community Leaders, and Athletes.

2023 Reconciliation Statement

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time to reflect on Australia’s shared history through truth telling, learning our shared histories, cultures, and the achievements of First Nations Peoples; while taking the time to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

In 2021, we published a joint statement committing to more substantive action in relation to reconciliation. Since then, the sporting network – of the Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia, Commonwealth Games Australia, and the National Institute Network – has:

• supported, or launched their own, Reconciliation Action Plans,
• created their own formal or informal First Nations Advisory Committees,
• increased their cultural knowledge through training and education immersion programs,
• created several partnerships, relationships, and/or programs in collaboration with First Nations Elders, emerging leaders, and/or organisations.

In 2022, the sector again reaffirmed their commitment to reconciliation through the Connection to Country Statement in Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Strategy.

This NRW, the theme is Be a Voice for Generations. This theme encourages all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways, in the places where we live, work, and socialise.

Be a Voice for Generations reminds us to acknowledge the work of generations past, for the benefit of generations future, and to act today for a more just, equitable and reconciled country for all.

All Australians benefit from a sporting culture that understands our collective histories and that seeks to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, their living cultures and celebrates their achievements. Sport plays a powerful role in the promotion of reconciliation and reduction of inequality in Australian society. We also recognise, in working collaboratively, sport can more meaningfully contribute to reconciliation and deliver practical outcomes for First Nations peoples.

Through our Connection to Country Statement, as well as this shared agreement, we commit to:

• Share learnings and resources relating to current and future initiatives,
• Support the continued development of Reconciliation Action Plans within the sporting network,
• Improve the procurement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander goods and services across the network,
• Develop and deliver cultural enrichment programs for First Nations athletes, coaches, and administrators,
• Create a more culturally aware, inclusive, and safe environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples across all areas of our operation and performance, and
• Ensure our organisations are more reflective of the communities we represent.

We commit to reviewing our progress and sharing this year-on-year.

Together, we will take more substantiative steps towards reconciliation, as a unified sporting sector for the benefit of all in sport, and Australian communities.

2024 Reconciliation Statement

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) encourages us to acknowledge the past, practice truth-telling, and pave the way for a future built on mutual respect, equality and understanding for First Nations peoples.

Every Australian stands to gain from a sporting culture that embraces our shared histories, actively promotes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, their vibrant living cultures, and honours their accomplishments.

Sport holds a profound capacity to advance reconciliation and reduce inequality. We acknowledge that through collaborative efforts, sport can significantly enhance their contribution to the reconciliation process.

This NRW, the theme is Now More Than Ever.

It serves as a powerful reminder that the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples is an enduring commitment for all Australians.

Now More Than Ever underscores the challenges persistent in Australia's reconciliation journey and should encourage us all to strengthen our relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Since 2021 Australian Sport leaders – the Australian Sports Commission, the Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia, Commonwealth Games Australia, and the National Institute Network - has come together to issue a collective statement outlining its shared commitment to taking substantive steps in advancing reconciliation efforts.

Building upon the Networks 2022 commitment to reconciliation through the Connection to Country Statement, in April 2024, Australia's High Performance (HP) system released the 3032+ Strategy’s Connection to Country Action Plan (hyperlink to document).

This document was developed by the Strategy’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Group to provide practical advice to HP organisations to establish comprehensive programs to enhance their Connection to Country.

Our aspiration is that the HP System will come to be characterised by environments and people that are connected to and deliberately include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their cultures, histories, and communities. Our people will have learnt from storytelling, be culturally aware, behave with integrity, and be accountable to enhance their Connection to Country.

We commit to reviewing our progress and sharing this year-on-year.

Unified in purpose, we commit to taking bold and substantial strides toward persistent reconciliation. As a collective force within the Australian sporting sector, our actions aim to enrich the experiences of all involved in sports, which will strengthen and uplift all Australian communities.