ACU sporting success

Message from Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students, Learning and Teaching) Professor Anne Cummins: Our University culture is enriched by the opportunity to participate in and spectate sporting pursuits. The sporting arena provides our students with the opportunity to strive for excellence and to work in teams, practising communication, resilience and courage - skills which neatly complement our ACU values and classroom learning.

The regional Uni Games competitions have recently wrapped up in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, with students from all ACU campuses competing in the Southern, Eastern and Northern University Games events. Our Brisbane Campus also recently hosted a highly successful week of Indigenous University Games. The national Australian University Games competition will take place in Perth at the end of September.

The Uni Games are always a highlight on the calendar, with the combination of tough sporting competition by day and energetic social events by night creating an unforgettable atmosphere. University Games events are as much about the experience as they are about winning the various sports, with many students leaving the games with new friends and a renewed enjoyment for their university life.

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics are also just around the corner and ACU has a number of talented student athletes who are members of the Australian Olympic Team:

• Ellie Cole (Paralympic Swimming) - Bachelor of Health and Exercise Science (Strathfield Campus) Paralympics 7-18 September. This is Ellie’s second Paralympic Games. Ellie overcame a double shoulder reconstruction post the London Paralympics in 2012 and then went on to win three gold medals at the 2015 swimming world championships.  Ellie is also the recipient of the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
• Mack Horton (Swimming) - Bachelor of Commerce (Melbourne Campus). Mack is in with a great chance in the 1500m swimming finals.
• Anabelle Smith (Diving) - Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science (Melbourne Campus). This is Anabelle Smith’s second Olympics representing Australia in the 3m Synchro for Diving.
• Emma Tonegato (Rugby 7’s) - Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (North Sydney Campus). Emma Tonegato and the Women’s Rugby 7s team are the reigning 2015-16 HSBC World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series champions so they are in with a big gold medal chance.

We wish our students every success in their Games competition and look forward with excited anticipation to barracking for them in the coming weeks!

Find out when our students are competing on the ACU student athlete Olympic schedule.