AOC: Olympian Katrin Garfoot has hit the ground running since her recent retirement from professional cycling, following her Individual Time Trial gold medal at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
With a passion for politics and women’s sport, the secondary school teacher visited some of the nation’s most influential leaders in sport and health in Canberra this week to share her vision for a healthier Australia.
A participant in the Australian Olympic Committee’s Athlete Mentor Program, Katrin and her mentor John Lamont visited the Hon Julie Bishop MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs, for the second time this year.
They also presented to Senator the Hon Bridget McKenzie, Minister for Sport, and have engaged with the office of the Hon Kelly O’Dwyer, Minister for Women, Minister for Revenue and Financial Services.
Garfoot was able to present her ideas ‘Supporting the delivery of the National Sports Plan’ to Minister McKenzie, the Prime Minister's office and her local federal MP, the Hon Stuart Robert.
Uniquely positioned as a former elite cyclist, Rio 2016 Olympian, World Championship medallist and teacher, the 36-year-old is highly motivated to play an ongoing role in the development and implementation of sports policy in Australia.
“My aim is to make sport more accessible to everyone and to create a better communication platform for those involved in sport,” Garfoot said.
“I wanted to make a difference but I didn't know how. As an elite athlete it's quite hard to communicate with everyone appropriately, so I had a thought a while back that there needed to be a better medium to do that.
“With the release of the National Sports Plan, my idea started to come together. I want to make a difference not only for elite athletes, but for sports at grassroots and recreational levels as well.”
During her discussion with Minister O’Dwyer's office, Katrin highlighted the need for young girls to have role models in school, and that as an educator herself, she hopes to implement strategies for changing the perception of girls’ involvement in sport.
At her follow up meeting with the Hon Julie Bishop MP, who she initially met in March this year, Katrin presented the Minister for Foreign Affairs a signed and framed version of her cycling jersey from the Rio Olympics.
Katrin’s dedication to the Minister on the jersey says ‘Your excellence inspires!’, a fitting tribute according to Katrin’s mentor, lawyer, former Federal Government Chief of Staff and Queensland Olympic Council Executive Board Member, John Lamont.
“Here the symbolism of two women who have achieved at the absolute pinnacle of their respective fields of endeavour is incredibly powerful,” Lamont said.
“It is also a very compelling example of women appreciating the achievement and skills of other women.”
Lamont is proud to mentor such a driven individual who he says is a role model for women of all ages.
“As a late-comer to cycling in 2008 and then only in a recreational sense at first, Katrin’s story is all about overcoming obstacles, which is a dynamic that too many women face in a variety of circumstances,” Lamont said.
“Despite all the obstacles of people telling Katrin she was too old and that she had no background in the sport, she triumphed with a glittering international career at the elite level. As such, she is the living embodiment for young girls and women of all ages - that you really can do whatever you set your mind to.
“Part of what Katrin sees as her continuing role now is to use her knowledge, experience and expertise in contributing to the development of sport policy for all Australians. Minister McKeznie’s recent release of the National Sports Plan provides an ideal opportunity to do exactly that.”
As she is still navigating the challenging athlete transition process, Garfoot will continue to strive for the healthier future she envisions.
“The next step for me is to engage in an even deeper collaboration with government, sports organisations and Sport Australia in defining our objectives a bit more, undertake specific market research and then create the best target outcomes,” Garfoot said.
“My proposition is very broad and achieving everything all at once will be hard, but we will start in smaller chunks and give it a go.”
As her mentor John Lamont says, “Katrin has a history of achieving whatever she sets her mind to, So, I expect she will bring the same level of dedication and energy to the sport policy environment that saw her rise to be one of the best female cyclists in the world. She is a tremendous asset for the Olympic movement and sport in Australia.”
Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au
