Two time Olympic gold medallist Mike McKay will visit St Mary’s Primary in Ascot Vale to share his passion for sport as part of the Australian Olympic Committee’s Olympic Day celebrations.  

“The more sport the merrier,” McKay said will be his main message to students. “Sport is enjoyable and team sport even more enjoyable.” 

McKay, who was a student at St Mary’s from 1970 – 1974, will address the entire school at 9am on Thursday 23 June in a special student assembly.  

“I grew up in Ascot Vale and have great memories of my time at the school. I was always very active; playing school sports, walking to school, climbing the fences and swimming in the summer.”

 The Victorian, who competed at four Olympic Games and is one quarter of the famous Oarsome Foursome, recognises the positive impact sport has had on his life.

 “Sport has opened up my world and I am a better person for it,” he said. “Rowing kept me focused on what I wanted to do.”

McKay will reinforce to the students that it is important to play a variety of sports and specialise later in life.

“On the weekend I was down at Little Athletics as well as playing football for Essendon,” he said. “It was not until I was about 14 years old I started rowing and I did not become serious about the sport until my late teens.”

Olympic Day is an international community event celebrating sport, education and culture. In Australia, Olympians are returning to school to talk about their experience at the Olympic Games and the positive impact sport has had on their life.

Through the AOC’s education program, the a.s.p.i.r.e. school network, schools are provided with a framework to create their own Olympic Day activities that reflect on the a.s.p.i.r.e. values developed by the Australian Olympic Team.

AOC