Olympians Harry Garside, Keesja Gofers, Lani Pallister and Chloe Dalton shared their own experiences of leadership, challenges and the opportunity to create positive change through sport.

The Olympians connected with 100 students at the Meta studios in Sydney, with the stream shared with hundreds of schools around the country.

Open to all secondary schools across the country, the Australian Olympic Change-Maker program recognises secondary students who demonstrate the Olympic values through leadership and driving positive change in their school and local communities.

TEACHERS: Nominate your students here!

From equality initiatives, fun runs and bike rides to raise money for charities, coaching groups with language barriers and using sport to build closer connections and support their classmates’ mental health, hundreds of students have already been nominated as Change-Makers.

Teachers have until the 7th of October to nominate up to two students from their school who are creating positive change in their own local community.

AOC CEO Matt Carroll said the program highlights inspiring work being done by students right around the country.

“Congratulations to all of the students already nominated as Australian Olympic Change-Makers,” Mr Carroll said.

“We have been delivering this program for five years and every year I have been impressed with the leadership shown by these young Australians. From cities to regions and from every state and territory, these students are living the Olympic values, making their communities better through sport. 

“These students of today are playing a vital role in shaping the Olympic Movement. Over the next decade as we head towards our home Games of Brisbane 2032, these Change-Makers demonstrate  that the future is incredibly bright.

“I am proud that the Australian Olympic Change-Maker program can celebrate inspiring students and I encourage all schools to nominate their young leaders.” 

Once nominations close on 7 October, a panel of Olympians will select 25 Change-Makers from hundreds of nominees to attend a three-day national summit in Canberra in December. 

The selected students will collaborate with Olympians and other young leaders, providing recommendations to the AOC on actions they want to see the Olympic movement in Australia work towards.

Dual Olympian Harry Garside shared his Olympic journey and how he handled winning bronze in Tokyo and not meeting his own expectations in Paris.

“To see the motivation of the young people in the room and to hear their stories of positive change was incredible,” Garside said. 

“There is such a power in Olympic sport, but also in having something inside of yourself that gives you life and energy. We all have a flame inside of us, sometimes that flame gets bigger when you do things that inspire you. A lot of the Change-makers have other things that light them up and make them happy.

“I’m so excited to see what these young people can achieve over the coming years.”

Triple Olympic water polo player and Paris 2024 silver medallist Keesja Gofers encouraged the students to be their own best advocate. 

“Theres so much potential in this room, so much desire and drive to make a change,” she said.

“The young people here are incredible, they have inspired me. It was awesome to be able to talk with them about challenges and leadership. Sometimes you can be your own worst critic, when you should be cheering yourself on and advocating.

“I now try to talk to myself how I would want my daughter to be spoken to – to speak kindly to yourself, to frame things as lessons rather than mistakes. That little bit of encouragement and knowing you’re not the only one can make a big difference.”

More than 6000 students have been recognised by the Australian Olympic Change-Maker program since its launch in 2019.