Bulletin

Issue: April 2006

News

La Trobe and the Commonwealth Games

Present or past La Trobe University students won three Gold medals and participated in many other events at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

In addition, the Bendigo campus of La Trobe University was involved in making the Games a success in a number of ways.

The Gold medallists included swimmer Danni Miatke who won the women’s 50 metres butterfly. Ms Miatke is enrolled for a BA at the Melbourne (Bundoora) campus but has deferred until 2007.

Tamsyn Lewis, who graduated from La Trobe with a Bachelor of Science in 2003, was a member of the Gold Medal Australian women’s 4 x 400 metre relay team. Her brother and coach, Justin Lewis, is also a La Trobe alumus, graduating Bachelor of Science (Biological Science) in 1995.

The third Gold Medallist was Rachel Imison, goalkeeper of the Australian Women’s Hockey team. Ms Imison graduated in 2005 with an honours degree in Prosthetics and Orthotics. She was also a member of the successful Australian teams at the Olympic Games in Athens and Sydney.

Other graduates who participated included Emma Colson (Cycling: Women’s Mountain Bike), Anna Thompson (Athletics: women’s 10,000 metres), Elizabeth Allen (Athletics: women’s 800 metres) and Timothy Matthews (Athletics: finalist in the men’s 200 metre EAD T46).

Current La Trobe University’s Bendigo campus Bachelor of Physiotherapy student, Erin Carroll, represented Australia in badminton.

La Trobe University’s Bendigo campus participated in the Games in a number of ways.

Dr Helen McBurney, Associate Professor in the School of Physiotherapy, was the Medical Coordinator for all Bendigo Commonwealth Games venues.

She organised the medical teams, including physiotherapists and sports trainers for the Bendigo Athletes Village and sporting venues for the full-bore rifle shooting and basketball. Among the sports trainers there were several physiotherapy students.

‘It was fun but exhausting being on call for 24 hours a day. Luckily we had no serious injuries among the athletes while they were in Bendigo,’ Dr McBurney said.

La Trobe University’s Bendigo campus was also the holding camp for the 167-member Scottish team in the three-week lead up to the Games.

The University conducted the camp for the team in association with the Greater Bendigo City Council.

La Trobe University Director of Engagement and Enterprise, Mr David Ensor, said the aim of the Holding Camp was to provide Scottish team athletes with the best possible preparation in the lead up the Games so that athletes could produce their best performances.

The School of Physiotherapy extended its support to the Melbourne Athletes Village through the provision of key items of equipment to Team Scotland.

Multimedia lecturer Mr Cameron Rose of the School of Arts & Design produced a video for the Commonwealth Games Cultural Festival in Bendigo.

The production – A Sport for all Ages – explores the social and community aspects of lawn bowls – one of the few sports that has players from the very young to the very old, providing a bridge over the generational divide.

Past and present Multimedia students were involved in the production with cinematography, editing and production assistant roles.

The film was screened from March 15–18 at the Campbell Theatrette in Bendigo during the Commonwealth Games Cultural Festival.