Olympian inspires Ipswich students with message of inclusion

Patrick Johnson was nearly impossible to catch on the track, but during his visit to Ipswich last week, there was a group of high school students who were quick to catch every word of the former Olympic sprinter’s captivating story.

Students from the Ipswich Regional Sports Academy (IRSA) raced to the University of Southern Queensland’s (UniSQ) Ipswich campus and Bremer State High School to meet the 100m Australian record holder.

Johnson represented Australia at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games and won bronze in the 4x100m relay at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.

He had been the only Australian to break the 10-second barrier until last weekend, when 21-year-old sprinter Lachlan Kennedy clocked 9.98 seconds to win his race at the Kip Keino Classic.

Now a culture and safety advisor at Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), Johnson is dedicated to sharing his knowledge, experience, and wisdom with aspiring young athletes.

“I’ve lived a pretty full and unique life, but I truly believe my purpose is to give back – to help the next generation have the best opportunity to reach their full potential,” he said.

A key part of that mission is promoting safe and inclusive sporting environments.

“Every child, regardless of their nationality, religion, background or sexuality, should have a place in sport,” he said.

“If they aspire to be Olympians or play sport, we want to make sure they are protected.

“There is still a lot of discrimination, racism, homophobia, and bias against people with disabilities, so we must strive to be better as a society.

“In sport, we have an excellent vehicle for change, but everyone must drive it.

“Accountability falls on everyone – not just the referees or my role. It’s not solely the players’ responsibility to call it out; we all must stand together and say we have zero tolerance for this kind of behaviour.”

Launched earlier this year, the IRSA is a joint initiative between Bremer SHS and UniSQ designed to create a dedicated sporting pathway for primary and secondary students pursuing athletic excellence.

Bremer SHS Director of Sport Michael Seiler said the students benefited from hearing Johnson’s story, as well as from discussions with members of SIA about the modern-day challenges of high-performance sport.

“He (Johnson) was an incredibly motivational speaker – the students were locked in from the moment he started speaking,” Mr Seiler said.

"Having someone who raced against Usain Bolt and was once the fastest person in the country take the time to speak with the students – walking around, offering advice and support to each of them – was fantastic to see."

The event, organised by Bremer SHS in partnership with SIA, also featured A-League Women’s match official Delfina Shakespeare, who serves as a program manager at SIA with a focus on empowering women and girls.

Learn more about the IRSA.