AGM Celebrates Transformational Year for Athletics in NSW

Athletics NSW held its Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 30 July at the NSW Centre of Excellence, marking what Chair Matt Whitbread described as “the most significant years in our sport in over 50-years.”

The 2024/25 season has been a defining moment for athletics in New South Wales, as the first full year of the NSW Athletics Partnership delivered record-breaking participation and a stronger, more unified system connecting grassroots to high performance.

Whilst the first year of the Partnership has been the foremost transformation of Athletics in NSW, the sport also undertook a second major initiative with the launch of the NSW Centre of Excellence (COE) at Sydney Olympic Park.

“By placing the athlete at the centre of our decisions and uniting our sport across clubs, centres, and communities, we have created the foundation for a more vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable future,” Whitbread said.

The AGM reflected on the major achievements of the past 12 months, including:

• Membership growth across all levels of the sport.
• A consolidated, state-wide competition calendar that reduced duplication and increased clarity.
• Increased participation in our events and even more athletes qualifying through to higher levels of representation.
• A fully integrated registration system used across both Athletics NSW and Little Athletics NSW.

A defining feature of the year has been the alignment of the sport under a single affiliation model, membership structure, and competition framework. This has provided a clearer and more consistent experience for athletes, families, coaches, and officials across the state.

The launch of the NSW Athletics Centre of Excellence at Sydney Olympic Park was another major milestone. As the state’s first dedicated facility and program designed to connect development with high-performance support.

NSW athletes also made their mark on the global stage, with eighteen athletes selected for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, including Jessica Hull (silver, 1500m), Nicola Olyslagers (silver, high jump), and Eleanor Patterson (bronze, high jump). NSW was also represented by seven athletes at the Paris Paralympic Games, led by medallists Mali Lovell (bronze, T36 200m) and Rheed McCracken (bronze, T34 800m).

At the junior level, NSW provided 21 of the 67 athletes selected to the World Athletics U20 Championships, contributing four medallists in Jack Deguara, Delta Amidzovski, Izobelle Louison-Roe, and Jemma Pollard, reinforcing the strength of the next generation of NSW athletes.

NSW athletes also featured prominently at the World Indoor Championships, World Relays, World Para Athletics Championships, and World Race Walking Cup. Many of these athletes began their journey through local Little Athletics Centres, illustrating the success of a lifelong pathway that the NSW Athletics Partnership aims to foster.

Athletics NSW CEO Christian Renford acknowledged that the progress of the past year could not have been achieved without the collective effort of the athletics community.

“To our clubs, centres, athletes, officials, volunteers, staff, and board members – thank you. You are the heart of this transformation. Your belief in our shared journey continues to redefine what is possible for athletics in NSW,” Renford said.

With the foundation work of the NSW Athletics Partnership now complete, the organisation’s focus will shift toward realising its long-term potential. Priorities for the year ahead include:

• Launching the new NSW Athletics brand and digital platforms.
• Embedding and scaling the club development program.
• Rolling out a facilities and government engagement strategy.
• Expanding the NSW Athletics Centre of Excellence, including regional outreach.
• Delivering another season of athlete-first events underpinned by alignment, quality, and inclusion. 

“We are proud of what we’ve achieved. Our goal remains to be better in everything we do, for the communities that we serve,” said Renford.

ANSW directors Peter Higgins, Terry Manns, Lisa Thompson, Andrew Watson, and Matt Whitbread were each re-elected for a further two years and were unopposed, again reflecting the stability of the Athletics NSW Board and the confidence of the membership in the sports leadership.

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