IMAGE|| Michael Willson

Athletics Australia have announced that dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Sally Pearson OAM will join the board as a Director.

“I’m really looking forward to working with the Athletics Australia Board, helping the sport to grow and giving our athletes the best chance to achieve their best in competition,” Pearson said.

“As an athlete and my own coach, I have insights into what it takes to achieve international success at the highest level, I am hoping to help the sport by contributing at the board level.”

Pearson currently sits as the Chair of the Athletes’ Advisory Group and is passionate about the welfare of Australian athletes.

“Athlete welfare is also a critical area for me and as part of the Athletes’ Advisory Group, in conjunction with the Board, we are already working on programs to address this issue.”

The popularity of the sport is unquestionable at a major championships, but she believes its time to implement ideas which will have a positive influence on the domestic season.

“At a major championships, the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, athletics is the No. 1, everyone wants a ticket to it and it fills the stands. How do we capture that and bring it into our season?” she asked.

“In Melbourne in 2006 there were 100,000 people in the stands for every day and night session. I was there, I know. It’s not fully my job to work out how we do that (in the domestic season) – there are marketing people for that – but I will be interested in those discussions.

“You can have opinions but until you know what is going on internally and why some things happen and what the finances are, then it hard to say (what changes should be made).

“It’s time to start implementing these ideas I have and listening to people and giving back to the sport.”