Olympic medallists Suzy Balogh (shooting), Rebecca Rippon (water polo) and Amy Hetzel (water polo) are touring regional NSW to chat with secondary school students about sport and life as part of the Australian Olympic Committee’s (AOC) Talk with a Champ program.

The Olympians visit Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange on Wednesday 26 October followed by Peel High School in Tamworth on Thursday 27 October. In a one hour discussion, the Olympians will share with students how they became involved in sport, the positive impact it has had on their lives as well as their experience at the Olympic Games.

The Talk with a Champ sessions will be webcast live at http://corporate.olympics.com.au/education/a-s-p-i-r-e-school-network/talk-with-a-champ between 11.30am and 12.30pm AEDT.

Balogh, who became the first female Australian to win an Olympic gold medal in the sport of shooting, returns to her once home town of Orange where she trained in the lead up to the 2004 Athens Games.

“I am looking forward to sharing with students details about my life as an athlete,” Balogh said.

“Sport has taught me a lot of things – how to manage myself, the correlation between effort and reward as well as the satisfaction obtained from setting goals and achieving them.”

Talk with a Champ tours around the country during the year and at each event feature two outstanding Olympians, who share with aspiring athletes the positive impact sport has had on their lives.

Talk with a Champ is just one part of the a.s.p.i.r.e. school network, the AOC’s education program, which uses the Olympic sport traditions and values to teach life values and life skills.

The program also features the online multimedia events Chat to a Champ and Learn from a Champ as well as Olympic Day. In the lead up to the London Olympic Games more activities will be offered including the popular Village Art program, Cheer for a Champ and lesson plans for primary and secondary school teachers.

Frances Cordaro
AOC