Unsung Olympians

OLYMPIANS EXHIBITION

Unsung Olympians: Celebrating dedication and perseverance

I am hoping to celebrate those Olympians who are extraordinarily skilled and talented elite athletes who did not get to stand on the podium. The public spotlight celebrate the winners (Gold, Silver and Bronze) and yet there are so many more wonderfully talented athletes who made the Olympics through much dedication, perseverance and had the same goals. I wish to celebrate these talented elite athletes and share their stories of courage and determination by making a portrait with them wearing or holding their Olympic blazer.

This idea came from being a a function recently where I was told there were at least a dozen Olympian alumni and yet I had no idea who these amazing people were. In our community we may not know that the Dad who drops off the kids at school was an Olympian walker, the woman executive was an Olympic hockey player or your GP you see was an Olympic wrestler. I am looking for interested Olympians who did not podium to be part of this project. I hope to exhibit the portraits around the time of the Paris Olympics in 2024. There is no fee to be a part of it, but if you wish to purchase a print from the exhibition, they will be for sale.

Please share this page with anyone who may be interested.

Christine Dobson. Olympian – Women’s Hockey 1992 Barcelona

 Growing up in country Victoria it was my dream from a young age to represent Australia at the Olympic Games. I wasn’t aware of the emotional rollercoaster ride that comes with elite sport. Not winning an Olympic medal affected me in an incomprehensible way and transitioning out of elite sport into the real world was challenging, taking many years to overcome the disappointment. However, with age comes reflection and knowing that I am one of only 4,315 Australians to ever wear the Olympic uniform, is an achievement I have become very proud of.

Sarah Cook: Olympian – Women’s Rowing 8+ 2012 London 

After watching the opening ceremony of the Barcelona Olympics at the age of 7, the dream of one day competing at the Olympic Games and wearing the green and gold was always front and centre for me. Sixteen years later I achieved that goal, but my Olympic experiences and more broadly my sporting journey was far from what dreams are made of, particularly as a female athlete. It hurts deep within that I feel I never achieved my full potential and was able to win an Olympic medal, but during my athletic and now professional careers I have worked towards making sport a more accessible, fair, and equitable place for women and girls. That is a legacy I can be proud of and I've come to learn that sport truly is bigger than the individual.

Kyla Bremner: Olympian - Women’s freestyle wrestling 2008 Beijing

My Olympic journey began when I started wrestling in 1994 as a teenager. I saw a competition and was transfixed. Over the years I stuck with it until I gained enough skills and experience to win my place. The first year women’s wrestling was in the Olympics was 2004 and I lost the National final in overtime. In 2008 I won in Australia and Oceania, and was selected to the Beijing team. Wrestling definitely isn’t for everyone but it was the right sport for me. It’s made me a stronger, tougher person with more confidence in my abilities. I am proud to be, to date, Australia’s only female wrestling Olympian.

Sally Hamilton: Olympian - Women’s 400m hurdles 1988 Seoul

As a five year old I remember I would day dream of running through paddocks and hurdling fences when travelling as a family through the wheat belt country in Western Australia. To me hurdling was a dance and running was pure joy. My love for athletics was intense and all encompassing. I knew of little else. It gave me so much and opened a world I could only ever have dreamt about. I clearly remember the day I decided to become an Olympian, the actual day, the spot on the track where the decision was made. I also remember clearly the day when I knew the journey had ended and it was time to move on. You just know. The reach into sport as the Greeks intended can be an avenue to evolve as a person - by going through the fire and coming out the other end - learning some of the lessons of life.

Zoe Lynam - Women's Rowing Quadruple Sculls (4x) Beijing 2008

At 9, I saw Antonio Rebollo ignite the Barcelona Olympics cauldron with an arrow – I was captivated. Limited by country town options, I aimed for elite netball and the Commonwealth Games, rather than the Olympic Games. Injury ended that dream, and I accidentally discovered rowing at the age of 21. Amidst challenges, I embraced rowing's potential. My Olympic opportunity arrived through determination, sacrifice, resilience, and persistence. Yet, 6th place felt like failure; and one Games participation feels like I never did enough. Over time, I've learned to value my journey, despite lacking a medal.

Dion Russell - 20 km Race walking Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000

Growing up in metropolitan Melbourne my early sporting memories include spending summer weekends as a 10-11 year old at the local athletics facility trying different track and field events. Ten years later, in a small German town of Eisenhuttenstadt, I qualified for my first Olympic Games (Atlanta 1996) in the 20Km Race Walk. Four years later, I was again fortunate to qualify and represent Australia, this time for a home Olympic Games in Sydney 2000 in both the 20Km and 50Km Race Walk events.

Everyone has their own definition of what success personally means to them. The saying ‘success is a journey, not a destination’, resonated with me throughout my sporting career. My time as an athlete provided an opportunity to obtain unique experiences whilst travelling internationally, establish long lasting friendships and to better understand my own strengths, vulnerabilities and opportunities for future growth. Training and representing Australia at the Olympic level taught me a range of transferable and life skills that have proven invaluable in a post-athletic career. Whilst retiring from international competition at a relatively early age, I have continued an involvement in sport in different volunteer, administrative and management roles. My Olympic experience continues to shape who I am today. I feel very honoured to have represented Australia at two Olympic Games and now in a professional career, contributing to supporting those aspiring towards their sporting goals for similar life shaping experiences.

About Hilary Wardhaugh

Hilary Wardhaugh is a Canberra based portrait photographer with a passion for projects. You can see her commercial work and personal projects on her website www.hwp.com.au

Her contact details are: hilary@hwp.com.au and hilary@hwp.com.au