A University of the Sunshine Coast academic and ex-Paralympic wheelchair basketballer helped Brisbane’s successful bid for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Dr Bridie Kean joined the bid process as a representative Paralympic athlete, advising on how to deliver accessibility to athletes and spectators alike, while bringing more permanent improvements for people with a disability in South-East Queensland.
Dr Kean said she was excited about the ongoing effects of hosting the Games.
“I’m most excited for how the Paralympic movement can help to change the next generation of Australia,” she said.
“I went to the Sydney Paralympic games as a teen trying to hide my disability, and I came out dreaming of becoming a Paralympic athlete.”
Dr Kean won a bronze medal at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, and a silver medal at the 2012 Paralympics in London, while she was a USC student. She is now on the University’s teaching and research staff in the field of public health.
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“A highlight for me on the bid team has been to share my experience as an athlete with a disability, and champion what we can do to ensure 2032 will be the most amazing accessible experience for Paralympic athletes,” she said.
“I want to ensure that these Games have a legacy that trickles through for people with a disability into all aspects of life – education, employment, public transport and access to sport. While we have it good here, it can always be better.”
