Twenty-six young leaders from across Australia who create positive change in their communities through sport have been selected to attend the Australian Olympic Change-Maker Summit.
Hailing from across the country, the 26 students from year 10 to 12 were selected by a panel of Olympians from almost 1000 nominations across Australia, and will represent their schools and communities at the National Summit in Canberra from 5-8 December 2023
The students will connect and collaborate with other Change-Makers and Olympians, engaging them to play a critical role in the future of the Olympic movement in Australia.
AOC CEO Matt Carroll congratulated the students on their selection to the 2023 Australian Olympic Change-Maker National Summit.
“The Australian Olympic Change-Maker program is a special program,” Mr Carroll said. “It is inspiring to see the impact Australian students are having in their schools and local communities, and the many initiatives they are implementing.”
“Congratulations to each of the 26 young leaders selected for the National Summit – while still at school they are already creating positive change in their communities, demonstrating the Olympic spirit from Darwin to Murrumbidgee, Launceston to Mindarie. They demonstrate our future is in very capable hands.
“I look forward to meeting the 2023 Change-Makers in December and most importantly, hearing the students' ideas that can help progress the Olympic movement in a very exciting green and gold runway of opportunity as we approach Brisbane 2032.
“Thank you as well to the teachers and schools around Australia for their ongoing support of the Australian Olympic Change-Maker Program – not only for nominating students to be recognised as Change-Makers, but for fostering environments where young people feel empowered to make a difference.”
At the National Summit, students will have the unique opportunity to learn from and collaborate with Olympians including Brooke Hanson, Mack Horton, Sami Kennedy-Sim and Nathan Katz.
This is the fifth year of the Australian Olympic Change-Maker program.
Olympic gold medallist and host of the Olympic Change-Maker National Summit, Brooke Hanson OAM OLY, said she was blown away by the standard of applicants this year.
“The submissions this year are the best we have ever seen, and it was a very difficult task for the Olympian panel to select who would be coming to the National Summit,” Brooke said.
"A huge congratulations to those who have been selected, your hard work and commitment to creating lasting change within your school and local community has been felt by all at the AOC and by the Olympians involved in the program.
“I look forward to seeing you shine at the National Summit in December.”
Year 12 student Molly Hutchinson from Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College in Sydney started a campaign called ‘Get Around It’, encouraging students to support their friends who were having a go at sport – attendance at school matches grew up to sevenfold, bringing about a wave of positivity and engagement for players and supporters alike.
“I was so excited and even a bit emotional when I found out I was selected for the National Summit,” Molly said. “To me, sport is so much more than what happens on the pitch – it’s mateship, it’s rivalry, it creates a great culture. Get around it!
“The beauty of the Olympics is it’s the biggest event in the world, and everyone arrives and plays on a level playing field.
“I’m looking forward to being able to work alongside Olympians, and meeting like-minded young people, who are passionate, to share my ideas and to be able to learn from other Change-Makers from all over the country.
“It’s crazy to think that the ideas that us Change-Makers come up with at the National Summit will be used to help the Olympic Movement in Australia.”
2023 Australian Olympic Change-Makers - National Summit Attendees
- Sophie Imhoff - Belconnen High School
- Hamish Ellison - St John Paul II College
- Makayla Zelley - Darwin High School
- Ore Ogeleye - The Essington School
- Anna Cosentino - Guilford Young College
- Kobe Arrowsmith - Queechy High School
- Finn Wright - Scotch College WA
- Ellie Gough - Mindarie Senior College
- Jevic Mwanza - Northern Bay P-12 College
- Howard Chang - Homestead Senior Secondary College
- Harris Henderson - St Joseph's College Geelong
- Caitlin Lyon - Mckinnon Secondary College
- Nicole Seesink - Bundaberg State High School
- Arthur Ryan - West Moreton Anglican College
- Precious Simeona - Bentley Park College
- Baxter Burke - Caloundra State High School
- Gout Gout - Ipswich Grammar School
- Geoffrey Yang - James Ruse Agricultural High School
- Piper Stewart - Murrumbidgee Regional High School
- Savannah Archer - Menai High School
- Parri Barrel - Nowra Anglican College
- Molly Hutchinson - Monte Sant' Angelo Mercy College
- Daniel Hutchison - Hastings Secondary College, Westport Campus
- Luc Oishi - Ryde Secondary College
- Bridie Loller - Unity College
- Janna Mojares - Balaklava High School
