Athletics NSW: A Year of Success and Unprecedented Growth

Published Thu 25 Jul 2024

Athletics NSW (ANSW) held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday 24 July, with members receiving updates on the immense success achieved over the past 12 months, which has significantly strengthened the foundations of Athletics in NSW.

ANSW Chair and President Matt Whitbread highlighted the sport's success in the last 12 months and the contributions of the community to that success:

"In the past year, Athletics NSW has delivered on major strategic initiatives that have set the stage for unprecedented growth and success. We thank all members of the NSW Athletics community for their support and the role they've played in our collective success. The coming season promises to be the start of something truly special."

Over the past year ANSW has made significant strides, with key accomplishments including:

The announcement of the NSW Athletics Partnerships in March 2024, establishing a unified affiliation, membership, and competition structure for athletics in NSW. This landmark initiative eliminates barriers and fosters growth within the sport. Whitbread extended ANSW's gratitude to Costa Zakis (LANSW Chair), Chris Giles (LANSW CEO) and the entire team at LANSW for their dedication to this partnership.

The opening of the NSW Centre of Excellence marked a significant milestone which provides ANSW with the ability to meaningfully support and develop the next generation of athletics talent in NSW.

ANSW delivered its first full season of the Paid Officiating Program investing over $300,000 in the officials workforce that delivers ANSW events. This represents the single biggest investment increase made in the history of Australian Athletics officiating.

For the first time in Australia, ANSW is able to offer live results for both track and field events with the introduction of Athletic Live at all Championship meets. This initiative ensures high-quality broadcast footage for our Championship events where all event groups are covered equally, enhancing the viewing experience for members and supporters.

ANSW's commitment to inclusivity is exemplified by the appointment of a dedicated Para-Coordinator. This role underscores the organisation's long-standing dedication to celebrating and supporting para-athletes.

Other notable accomplishments include:

Head Office Relocation: Moving to a larger and more professional facility within the Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre precinct, enabling future growth and opportunities.

Membership Growth: Continued increase in participation and memberships, attributed to the realignment of membership categories.

Official Training: 32 officials completed and passed the World Athletics Referees Education and Certification Sydney (WARECS).

Event Enhancements: The relocation of the Chemist Warehouse Sydney Track Classic to E.S. Marks Athletics Field, resulting in a sellout crowd — the first since the 2000 Olympics.

School Carnivals: Facilitated the appointment of technical officials to 235 school carnivals, a 25% increase from the previous year.

Board Diversity: The ANSW Board continues to be a formidable skills-based Board with a balance of genders, ages and cultural background - as well as boasting a deep background and involvement with Athletics as athletes, administrators and officials.

Christian Renford, CEO of Athletics NSW, praised the team's efforts:

"The successes of 2023 were a mere precursor to the quantum leaps forward that we achieved in these last 12 months. These achievements have fundamentally shifted and strengthened the foundations of athletics in NSW."

ANSW directors Karen Mitchell, Lexy Gilmour and David Lewis were each re-elected for a further two-year term and were unopposed, reflecting the stability of the ANSW Board and the confidence the membership holds in the sport's leadership.

To view the ANSW Annual Report and Financial Statements, click here.