Squash Australia part of united commitment: 'We win well to inspire Australians'

In a major milestone for Australian sport, Squash Australia is proud to have joined forces with the country’s peak Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sporting organisations to launch a national strategy aimed at building success towards Brisbane 2032 and beyond.

Bringing our collective vision of success immediately to life, Squash Australia joined sporting leaders in Sydney today and took a pledge to ‘Win Well’ – a foundation of the strategy and a new national commitment to balancing ambitious sporting goals with cultures that are safe, fair and supportive. 

Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy represents the first time all peak bodies from across Australia’s Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports have united for a national high performance sport strategy. It includes Federal, State and Territory Institutes and Academies of Sport, peak Games bodies the Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia and Commonwealth Games and National Sporting Organisations. 

Australian Sports Commission CEO Kieren Perkins said it was a historic and significant step for Australian sport. 

“This is one of the greatest periods of opportunity in Australian sporting history and teamwork can be our competitive advantage as we aim for 2032 and beyond,” Perkins said. “We all have unique roles to play, but we will all benefit by harnessing our collective strengths, talent and resources so we can deliver the best outcomes for our athletes, sports and for all of Australia. 

“No sporting team can unite and inspire us like our Aussie athletes. We have a Green and Gold Runway of major sporting events over the next decade to 2032 that gives our athletes and sports the ultimate platform to perform and connect all Australians with sport like never before. 

“This strategy is the collective roadmap to guide our success. It prioritises how we will tackle areas including world-leading coaching and practices, athlete development pathways, performance environments, an outstanding workforce driven by clear values and cultures.

“Our time starts now to build an inclusive and sustainable sporting system that is performance-driven, athlete-focused, exceptionally led and purposefully collaborative.” 

CEO Rob Donaghue said Squash Australia was proud to be part of the co-design and implementation of a truly national high performance sport strategy. 

“It was phenomenal to see the many voices of the Australian Sport system coming together and consolidating behind a single, united vision for the development of high performance sport in our country,” Donaghue said. 

“The wealth of diverse experiences, approaches and perspectives behind this strategy is truly unique and the strength of this commitment will ensure all stakeholders are going to be involved and aligned in creating opportunities for Australian athletes, as they develop their talents, perform and ‘win well’. 

“Australian athletes’ sporting achievements have always been inspiring for our community, but now we have an amazing opportunity to also create change through sport, and foster a better culture of success for generations to come.” 

A key measure of success outlined within Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy is to position Australia for its best ever Olympic and Paralympic performances at the Brisbane 2032 Games. But the strategy ultimately sets out to build ongoing, sustainable success for Australian high performance sport, before and after Brisbane 2032. 

That ambition is captured by the strategy’s vision: ‘We win well to inspire Australians’. 

As part of the strategy, sporting organisations signed up to a Win Well pledge and outlined their united commitment in a joint letter. 

“Success in Australian sport will be to Win Well,” the joint letter states. 

“This is a balanced, holistic approach, supporting our athletes and people to win in all areas of life. It is about celebrating the humanity of Australian sport, valuing physical, mental, emotional and cultural wellbeing. It is maintaining the ambition for success, but always marked with humility, integrity, fair play and Aussie grit. 

“To Win Well will be a key to sustainable success, unlocking the full potential in our people and our sporting system.” 

Staff and athletes within Squash Australia welcomed the united approach to the Strategy and Win Well. 

“Having such a broad and strong System vision that redefines success will create amazing opportunities of cross-pollination and synergies across disciplines in terms of training, well-being and performance,” said Squash Australia High Performance Manager Lachlan Johnston. 

“It will also allow us to expand and refocus the support system around our athletes and coaches, ensuring they have access to the best resources to thrive on and off the court.” 

To ensure the Strategy is implemented successfully, Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy Leadership Group has been established with a cross section of leaders from across Australia’s Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games sports. The Group includes: 

• Andrew Dee (CEO, Volleyball Australia)
• Anne Marie Harrison (CEO, Victorian Institute of Sport)
• Britt Cox, four-time Winter Olympian
• Catherine Clark, CEO, Paralympics Australia 
• Chad Perris, two-time Paralympian 
• Chris O’Brien, High Performance Director, Gymnastics Australia 
• Colin Batch, Kookaburras Head Coach, Hockey Australia
• Craig Phillips AM, CEO, Commonwealth Games Australia
• Kevin Thompson, CEO, New South Wales Institute of Sport
• Kieren Perkins OAM OLY, CEO, Australian Sports Commission
• Marne Fechner, CEO, AusCycling
• Matt Carroll AM, CEO, Australian Olympic Committee
• Matti Clements – Acting Director, AIS (Chair)
• Patrick Johnson, two-time Olympian, Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Representative
• Tamara Sheppard, High Performance Director, Swimming Australia

A full copy of Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy and more Win Well material, including testimonials from sport leaders, athletes and coaches, is available at winwell2032.au