Sport Australia Chief Executive backs Fitness Australia’s new physically activity goals

Kate Palmer, Chief Executive of Sport Australia, has used today's Women of Influence Forum at the 2019 FILEX Convention as a platform to throw the Federal Government agency's support behind a partnership between the agency and Fitness Australia.

Speaking after the Forum, Fitness Australia Chief Executive Barrie Elvish welcomed Palmer’s comments, stating “we were really pleased to hear your new strategy was demonstrating a shift into this physical activity space.”

Palmer advised “for me it’s about how can we partner with you (Fitness Australia and its members) to look at opportunities, because your professional workforce is predominantly female and (the sport industry is) very much skewed to male, and we need feet on the ground nationally, and you certainly have feet on the ground.”

With a particular focus on your children, the Chief Executives agreed that teaching young children to run, catch and jump is so important because the reality is that many children start school not having the right physical-movement foundations.

Elvish added “the opportunity that we have right now, in getting the foundations right through early childhood settings, is critical.”

Palmer acknowledged that Sport Australia and Fitness Australia now share a strategic alignment; and that the next step is to align business planning to achieve a common goal.

The link with Sport Australia is a first step in a series of initiatives that will support Fitness Australia’s new goals.

Click here to watch the full interview.

Images: Sport Australia's Kate Palmer addresses the FILEX Convention today (top) and Palmer in discussion with Fitness Australia Chief Executive Barrie Elvish (below).