Dylan Alcott and a star-studded line-up of Australian athletes will come together at UNSW Diversity Fest to discuss diversity in sport.
A rare combination of Australian sports stars is lining up for UNSW’s Game Changers panel talk on Tuesday 24 September from 6:00 – 7:30 pm at the Roundhouse – one of the flagship events for this year’s UNSW Diversity Fest.
The star-studded athletic line-up includes Australian Paralympian and current Wimbledon champion Dylan Alcott OAM, Rugby 7s Olympic gold medallist Ellia Green, former Australian netballer and current Collingwood AFLW player Sharni Layton and the NRL’s Diversity and Inclusion Manager Casey Conway.
The inspiring panel talk will ignite conversation around diversity and discrimination in sports and how situations on the field often trigger larger discussions off the field. ABC News Breakfast’s Paul Kennedy will lead the Game Changers panel. Each athlete will openly share their personal experiences, highlighting issues surrounding gender, sexuality, disability and race in sports and beyond, and show how they have harnessed their fame and leadership roles to fight discrimination and inequality.
“We want Diversity Fest to celebrate and open up conversations about diversity in our community,” said Professor Eileen Baldry, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Equity Diversity & Inclusion. “This also means challenging discrimination and breaking down common stereotypes. It reveals the life affirming opportunities that an inclusive culture can bring, as well as the negative impacts that prejudice and lack of access to opportunity can cause.
“UNSW Diversity Fest is a platform for people from diverse backgrounds and professions to share their stories and learn from each other. Openness, communication, understanding and compassion are fundamental aspects of growing a more inclusive society,” said Professor Baldry.
Mr Alcott excels in two sports. He has two Olympic gold medals in wheelchair basketball and a further two golds in wheelchair tennis. He has risen to world number one and won nine grand slam tennis singles titles. Mr Alcott advocates that having a disability “isn’t a death sentence” and has made it his mission to show that disability does not have to detract from the quality of your life or the success you can achieve.
Register for UNSW Diversity Fest’s Game Changers event now.
The Game Changers panel will be moderated by Paul Kennedy, esteemed TV presenter on ABC News Breakfast and occasional host of ABC TV’s Offsiders. A former AFL player turned successful sporting coach, he is a crusader for human rights and exposing corruption. Mr Kennedy unearthed the systematic child abuse by Australian religious and state institutions in his book Hell on The Way to Heaven which was explored in more detail in his documentary, Undeniable. With over two decades of experience in storytelling, Mr Kennedy can steer conversations to unearth truths and help us address and better understand some of the challenges that exist in our society.
Check out the full program of events on the Diversity Fest website including panel talks, workshops, film screenings, social gatherings and more.
UNSW Diversity Fest is a week-long celebration from 23-27 September bringing students and staff together to embrace the diversity of our UNSW community and ignite broader conversations on creating an inclusive society where everyone can participate. The festival is a proud initiative of the Division of Equity Diversity & Inclusion.