Ben Austin OAM was an elite Australian swimmer. Born in Wellington in 1980, he blazed in a trail of success in competitive swimming. In 2000, he qualified for the Sydney Paralympic Games where he won two silver and two bronze medals. In Sydney he achieved top five world ranking in the 100m and 50m freestyle and butterfly events.
In the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games, the first Commonwealth Games to fully intergrate athletes with disabilities, Ben broke four world records and won two gold medals in the 100m and 50m freestyle events. In the 2004 Athens Paralympics Games he became one of the first swimmers in his S8 category class to break the one-minute barrier for the 100m freestyle and won two gold medals in the 100m freestyle and 4x100m medley events. In recognition of his performance at the Athens Games he recieved the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2005. At the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games he won a gold medal in the Men's 4 x 100m medley.
Competing over ten years in three Paralympic Games, three Commonwealth Games and two World Championships, with each medal and record won he expanded the horizons of his ambition. Over the course of his career, Ben won 12 Paralympic medals, set 15 world records and 81 national records. As a Young Australian of the year finalist, Ben sought to faciliatate an awareness of the potential success through the Paralympic movement. An inspiration to his generation, Austin continues to demonstarte leadership to the global and local community.
Brad competed in two Olympics as a Flyweight Boxer at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2004 Athens Olympics. As an athlete Brad has competed at an International level for over 25 years as an amateur and professional boxer. Brad’s connection to his Indigenous community, his passion for Australian sport and his cultural practice provides Brad with the expertise as a member of the Australian Olympic Indigenous Advisory Committee and motivational speaker in schools all over Australia.
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Jessica Skinner is a Proud Barkindji (Aboriginal) and Maori woman, who is the current Assistant Coach of the Women’s Indigenous All Stars team, Head Coach of the First Nation Gems Women’s National Championship team, the Head Coach of the NRL Indigenous Women’s Academy and the Assistant Coach of the Australian Womens Jillaroo World Cup Team. Jess has been in the women’s space of rugby league for over 10 years coming through from the grassroots level. In 2019 she was projected into the elite space as the Assistant Coach with the Australian Women’s Prime Ministers 13 team and the 2021 Inaugural Knights NRLW team.
Outside of rugby league, Jessica is a mother of two children, and has spent the last 12 years working for the NSW Department of Education as a teacher in her community of Trangie NSW, with a Bachelor of PhysEd. Jess is passionate about her culture and providing opportunities for young people in remote communities to achieve their dreams and aspirations in the game of rugby league at the elite level.
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Kiya (hello), I am Tahlia Taylor-Kickett, a proud Noongar woman from southeast of Perth, WA. Proudly born and connected to Wongatha country in the heart of the goldfields, descending from Yawuru and Gurindji ancestors.
I spent most of my childhood to late teen years getting involved in any sporting code I could, representing from grassroots to a State and National level for the Northern Territory in Netball, Basketball, AFL, Soccer and Touch Football.
As I grew into my adult years I found a passion off the field, mentoring and highlighting the health and wellbeing of emerging athletes at both the grassroots and top levels of their careers/sporting journey.
I am Gamilaroi Yuwaalaraay by birth. Optimist by nature. A former athlete through history. University graduate through western education. Journalist through necessity and a storyteller through diligence.
I am a recognised Kabi Kabi Traditional Owner and a proud descendant of the Wakka Wakka, Nughi of Moorgumpin and Bindal tribe's in Queensland. I have completed a Masters of Business Administration at the University of Queensland, Masters of Teaching following a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Criminology and Sociology at the University of Melbourne. I have held positions as the Indigenous programs Coordinator and Humanities teacher at Trinity Grammar School before starting a Business Analyst Internship then accepting a Junior Associate role at McKinsey and Co.
I am passionate about education and combining my personal cultural standpoint in a way that brings both the First Nation community together with the rest of Australia. I have written and delivered Cultural Insight Education Workshops for over 10 years in the private, public, institutional and not for profit sectors to all demographic groups. This has led me writing a curriculum to a year level at Trinity Grammar School that sees all students participate to gain a greater understanding of the political, historical, educational and cultural aspects within the First Nation Australian context.
I also have experience with mentoring programs aimed to support First Nation and disengaged youth attending secondary school which stems from my involvement in facilitation at The Reach Foundation, AIME, NASCA, Raise the Bar Academy and Queen's College.
I have a long sporting history that continues today. I have spent my junior years in the elite talent AFL pathways playing TAC Cup, representing Vic Metro at u/16's and u/18s as well as captaining the Australian Indigenous u/16s, Flying Boomerangs on our 2008 South African Tour. I was also a part of the elite talent cricket pathways representing local competitions, Hatch, Victoria and The Australian Aboriginal XI as a 16 year old. This led to receiving a full scholarship to attend Melbourne Grammar School and was part of the 2008 APS Premiership side for 1st XI and XVII. I chose to pursue a career in football and played VFL football for Port Melbourne and Coburg, NTFL for Darwin Buffaloes and played Premier A VAFA and represented the Big V on the 2017 Ireland tour. I unfortunately have had some bad luck whilst on the field and have required seven knee operations (3xACL Reconstructions, 2x Meniscus tears, 2x clean outs), dislocated both shoulders twice, fractures in lower back, foot, hands, fingers and shins and have also had a heart operation. During this time I also attended the AIS for Boxing. In 2020, I shifted towards endurance sports and podiumed twice in the 2xu Triathlon series before completing the Geelong 70.3 Half Ironman. I have since returned to football and will be playing football in country Victoria in 2023 getting the last few seasons out of my body before shifting full time to Triathlon and Ironmans.