Friday 6 January 2017

GC2018 Ambassadors Set the Bar High

  • Champions ready to Share the Dream
  • Worldwide focus on Gold Coast and Queensland
  • April 2017 will be one year to go celebrations

A five-star experience on the Gold Coast doesn't come much better than this.

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games organisers have announced five champion Queensland athletes to be ambassadors for what will be the biggest sporting event in Australia this decade.

The Gold Coast, one of Australia's best-known and most popular holiday destinations, will host the Games from April 4-15, 2018.

The Games will feature more than 6600 athletes and officials from 70 Commonwealth nations and will be watched by a worldwide television audience estimated in excess of 1.5 billion.

Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to visit the Gold Coast during the Games and in the months leading up to the event.

The ambassadors have been appointed to share their knowledge of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia and GC2018 with the world.

They are: Sally Pearson (athletics); Cameron McEvoy (swimming); Anna Meares(cycling); Kurt Fearnley (para-sports) and Laura Geitz (netball).

The ambassadors will promote GC2018 as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a world-class celebration of sport, art and culture and encourage wide participation in GC2018 programs and initiatives.

Games visitors also will be urged to use their time in Queensland to explore tourism destinations across the state.

Sprint hurdler Sally Pearson, a gold medallist at the London 2012 Olympic Games and Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and a former world champion, was the first ambassador named and was presented with a commemorative surfboard – an iconic keepsake of the Gold Coast lifestyle and a gift all five ambassadors have now received.

“The Commonwealth Games is an amazing experience for athletes and spectators, and in 2018 it will be the Gold Coast, my home town, showcased to the world,” the Golder Coaster said after her ambassador role was announced in July.

Swimmer Cameron McEvoy was named as the second official Ambassador for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in September.

The 100m-200m freestyle specialist, who won double gold in relays in Glasgow, also is based on the Gold Coast where he combines swim training with studying for a Bachelor of Science degree at Griffith University.

“To have the Commonwealth Games in my own backyard, the place I call home, will be a special time; it's a great opportunity to share the experience with my family and friends,” Cameron said.

Cycling legend Anna Meares was named a GC2018 ambassador in November at the official opening of the Anna Meares Velodrome, home to track cycling for GC2018.

The Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, who a week earlier announced her retirement, said she was excited to play a role beyond competing.

“I'll be encouraging everyone to experience the greatness of these Games,” Anna said.

GC2018 will feature 18 sports and seven para sports in the largest and most-inclusive Games program ever.

It was fitting that decorated wheelchair racer Kurt Fearnley was named as a Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Ambassador in November.

The five-time Paralympian and medallist and Commonwealth Games medallist was born without the lower portion of his back, but has always been determined to achieve greatness, in and out of his racing wheelchair.

Aside from winning multiple marathons around the world, Fearnley has also crawled the Kokoda track and was a member of the crew of the 2011 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race line honours winner Investec Loyal.

“It will be an historic Games, with the largest integrated para-sport program ever at a Commonwealth Games. It is a wonderful opportunity for para-athletes across the Commonwealth to compete at GC2018,” Kurt said.

To close 2016 on another impressive ambassador announcement, champion netballer Laura Geitz used the announcement of her ambassadorship to hand out GC2018 mascot 'Borobi' plush soft toys to patients at Lady Cilento Children's Hospital in Brisbane.

“To be involved in GC2018 as an ambassador and to help tell the world about how amazing the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia is will be exciting, I can't wait to welcome the Commonwealth's best athletes to my home state in April 2018,” said the Australian Diamonds captain and netball gold medallist in Glasgow.

“I am delighted my first role as an Ambassador was to share the beautiful Borobi plush toys with the children at the Lady Cilento Hospital – seeing their smiles was so heart-warming.”

For more information of the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games™:
https://www.gc2018.com/

For more information on holidays on the Gold Coast go to:
http://teq.queensland.com/destinations/gold-coast
http://www.visitgoldcoast.com/

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