Uncle Willie Prince’s journey is as powerful as it is poignant. Born on the Cherbourg mission in Wakka Wakka country, he is a proud Kalkadoon man whose early separation from community shaped his resilience.
For Janelle Colquhoun, music and sport have always gone hand in hand. A classically trained soprano who has performed on stages around the world, she also lives with disability, which has shaped her advocacy for inclusion.
“I am what they call a multi-sport athlete,” Sara begins. “I first started out in athletics as soon as I can remember. I played basketball, went to World Juniors for athletics, did Nationals in basketball, even joined the shadow squad for the under-25 Australian team.”
“Every child, every adult — regardless of ability — should be able to pull on a club shirt and feel like they belong.”
“We don’t need special treatment — we just need opportunities to be part of the system like everyone else.”
“If we ask the right questions, we’ll see patterns in the barriers. Then we can target solutions, not just guess.”
Ben says, “It’d be great to get the right people in the room and start really solving the problem.”
His leadership has helped create pathways for new players and ensures the Gold Coast Rollerblaze Wheelchair Basketball Club continues to grow.
For Kim Abbott, hockey has always been part of life. “My Mum was a state player for Queensland, and from under-10s I just fell in love with it,” she says. While she never chased the elite pathway, she’s played for fun, family connection and community.
Danielle Pittis who has been a QDN member since 2020 and graduated in the first cohort of QDN’s Emerging Leaders program in 2021. Danielle says that the program “…gave me the opportunity to become a leader and grow my leadership within QDN, and other parts of my life”.
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