When Susie O’Neill announced late last year that she was stepping away from her Nova 106.9 breakfast show saying she was looking forward to to a new chapter “including getting back to the grass roots of sport and involving myself in the wider community”, it seemed only a matter of time before the 2032 Brisbane Olympics came calling. At its annual general meeting on Saturday, Susie was announced to be joining the board of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC).
2032 feels a way off but Brisbane and the those involved in bringing the Olympics and Paralympic games to live are already knee deep in preparations for the event to showcase the city.
President of the AOC Ian Chesterman said:
“Everyone knows Susie O’Neill the swimmer, but she also has an extraordinary record in sports administration. She’s been an IOC (International Olympic Committee) Athletes’ Commission member and IOC member, she’s served on the AOC executive, led an Australian youth Olympic team and was deputy chef de mission in Tokyo. She knows the business and has an incredible ability to help us moving forward.”
Susie, known as ‘Madame Butterfly’ has won 35 Australian titles plus 8 Olympic medals including 2 gold and 24 gold medals in major international competitions. One of those golds was at the Sydney 2000 Olympics in what was not a pet event, the 200m freestyle.
She remain a part of the Nova Network, recently a part of the Mel & Matty and Susie O’Neill breakfast show over the Easter survey break where she was challenged to a race by co-host Matt Baseley:
The new Nova Brisbane breakfast team of Ash, Luttsy & Nikki Osborne pinched both No 1 station and breakfast show from B105 in the recent GfK Radio 360 Survey 2.
Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo.