We did it!!!

Last night's vote and announcement make it official: Brisbane will host the Games in 2032!!

It’s been a long race, but we have finally crossed the finish line! As John Coates AC said in last night's address, it actually started 35 years ago, when Brisbane made its first bid! He said we weren't quite ready then, but we are certainly ready now!

I’ve had the privilege of working on this bid over many months, and while it’s been a hard slog, I’ve loved every minute of it. I visualise the city I call home – and my favourite city in the world! – pulsing with all the excitement and energy that a Games brings. We got a glimpse of it last night, and it’s only going to keep building! From what I experienced in Sydney, I know it will be epic!

But the biggest win is the legacy this Games will leave.

This will truly change Queensland, and put us firmly on the map as a global destination. Brisbane will shed its reputation as a ‘big country town’ – now everyone will know our city’s name, and soon, they’ll also know what makes this place so special. The people, the weather, the experiences, the local culture, the beautiful natural environment we call home.

Not only will there be obvious benefits in terms of jobs, tourism, an increased capability to hold major events, but the community will also benefit from upgraded and new infrastructure designed to meet the needs of our fast-growing state.  

Brisbane for 2032_{With royalty Dawn Fraser AC MBE OLY at the Olympics Live site in South Bank, Brisbane}

And then there’s the legacies that we might not see, but will certainly feel: the dreams that will be fuelled when our athletes imagine how it will feel to compete in the world's biggest sporting event, on home soil.

As someone who competed in five Games, I can tell you there is absolutely nothing like doing the thing you love in a stadium full of family, friends and fans chanting, ‘Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!’ – I still get goosebumps whenever I replay those memories in my mind. And that feeling is something I can’t wait to share with our next generation of elite athletes.

This landmark announcement will have Aussies watching Tokyo through a new lens: kids who are now just starting school could well be winning gold in front of their home crowd in 11 years’ time! It’s our Australian Olympic Team athletes who will spark their imaginations and show them what’s possible when you grab your dream and run with it.

Here’s to Queensland, and this giant leap towards 2032!

Aussie! Aussie! Aussie!
Oi! Oi! Oi!
 

Brissie! Brissie! Brissie!
Oi! Oi! Oi!

 

Main image: Fireworks last night at the Olympics Live site in South Bank, Brisbane! via Brisbane City Council Instagram