Call for champions

There is a small, dedicated group of people in Sydney, and organisers of Melbourne’s Asia Pacific Outgames want to find them.

The Melbourne Outgames have been securing a number of key people to become Champions, a local ambassador role in cities around the country to help promote the sporting event which will open in Melbourne on 30 January 2008.

So far, three Champions have been appointed in Brisbane and three in Perth. In Sydney, which Outgames organisers call their most important market, only one has been assigned -“ squash’s Carin Clonda.

While Outgames has established key relationships with such local sporting groups as Team Sydney and Bentstix, they now need dedicated people to act with Clonda to create a groundswell of support throughout the Sydney GLBT community.

We know the Outgames will not work if Sydney does not get behind it, Outgames communications director Graeme Lewsey says. Between the two cities, Sydney and Melbourne will represent over half of all athletes taking part in the games.

We now need individuals to put up their hands and take up the challenge of being a good conduit from the Outgames and Team Sydney through to the rest of the community.

We require Champions who can understand what is going on locally, and then apply to that what the Outgames are going to be about. It is having key people to spruik the games and being a two-way voice between the games organisers and what is happening in the local market.

The Champions are particularly needed to assist with the promotion of the Outgames Registration Open Party, to be held in Sydney at the end of August.

Lewsey says Outgames is expecting 600 athletes from Sydney to take part in such sports as swimming, track and field, hockey and rowing.

Melbourne is expecting a total of 3,000 athletes from the Asia Pacific region to take part in the Outgames, which will be held from 30 January to 3 February, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Midsumma.

This is a national community event, Lewsey says. Along with the Outgames, it will be the 20th anniversary of Midsumma and the 30th for Mardi Gras. It will be a very good time of year.

Applicants for the role of Sydney Outgames Champions should apply to [email protected].