Presenters announced for 2019 National Participation Conference

Ski and Snowboard Australia is pleased to announce the presenters for the 2019 National Participation Conference to be held in Canberra From Thursday 7 - Friday 8 November.

The two-day event will give delegates an opportunity to hear from a host of experts speak about topics ranging from snow safety, to diversity and inclusion in snowsports and physical literacy - a Sport Australia framework that is taking a holistic and lifelong learning approach to movement and physical activity.

Among the presenters is Kate Palmer AM Sport Australia CEO, Pierre Comis Director of Physical Literacy Leadership at Sport Australia.

Triple Winter Paralympian and Paralympic Bronze Medallist Melissa Perrine and Dual Olympian Jono Brauer, General Manager Victoria and Hotham Vail Resorts Belinda Trembath, Thredbo Snowsports General Manager Adam Hosie, will also present on topics across the two-day event.

The conference explores the key topics of:

Industry – Unique Insights from Sport and the Snowsports Industry

Participation – Connecting with our Community to Inspire, Engage and Encourage Greater Participation

Schools – Developing sustainable, safe and successful School Snowsports programs

Diversity and Inclusion – Learning about the opportunities available for Disabled Wintersports Participants

A Systems Approach – Exploring what this means for Snowsports and our community, with an emphasis on developing an evidence-based approach to collectively achieve great outcomes

The Conference dates are structured to coincide with the inaugural Ski & Snowboard Australia Community Sport Awards to be held on the Thursday evening – 7th November at QT Canberra.

Registrations for the 2019 National Participation Conference close on Wednesday 16 October.

CLICK HERE to register

CLICK HERE for more information

MEET THE PRESENTERS 

Kate Palmer AM - CEO, Sport Australia

Kate Palmer AM is a leading Australian sport administrator. Since 2016 she has served as the CEO of Sport Australia (formerly known as the Australian Sports Commission).

Palmer has been leading figure in netball and Australian sport since the early 1990s. Palmer played Netball for Victoria and also served as the Chief Executive Officer of Netball Victoria and Netball Australia.

Palmer's roles outside netball include: Chair of the Victorian Institute of Sport, Panel Member of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority Advisory Committee, Director of Australian Commonwealth Games Association

In the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours Palmer was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in recognition of her significant service to sports administration.

 Pierre Comis - Director, Physical Literacy Leadership - Sport Australia

Comis has worked in game development and participation roles across the sports of AFL, NRL and Cricket before moving to Sport Australia in 2007. Since then he has spent more than a decade implementing the Active After-school Communities program, designing and rolling out Sporting Schools and influencing National Sporting Organisations participation planning and strategy, focussing particularly on the primary school age group. In his current role, Pierre leads the physical literacy agenda in Australia.

Comis is highly experienced at junior product design, community coach training and at focussing on the holistic development of children through sport and physical activity.

He is also particularly passionate about developing more physically literate young Australians and making daily physical activity the norm, both at school and at home, in order to effect much needed generational change.

 Adam Hosie - Snow Sports General Manager, Kosciuszko Thredbo

For 25 years, Hosie has worked at Thredbo for 26 winter seasons, initially as a Snow Sports Instructor, then for the past 15 years as the Snow Sports General Manager. Hosie was an APSI level 4 trainer/examiner and was twice selected on the National Education and Demonstration team, represented Australia at the 2007 Interski congress in South Korea. He is currently serving on the Ski & Snowboard Australia National Participation Committee.

Hosie has a wealth of knowledge in event management, snow safety and training and assessment of Snow Sport Instructors.

 Belinda Trembath - General Manager Victoria and Hotham, Vail Resorts'

Since 2006, Trembath has served as the General Manager at Hotham Skiing Company having previously worked in other roles within the company, such as the Marketing Manager.

Trembath now works as Vail Resorts' General Manager in Hotham and Victoria.

Trembath is Chair of the Australian Ski Areas Association (ASAA), a non-profit industry body representing Australian Ski Area owners and operators that develop and publish industry policies intended to make Australian snow sports an enjoyable and safe recreation.

 Melissa Perrine - Triple Winter Paralympian

Perrine is a visually impaired Para-Alpine Skier who has competed at the last 3 Winter Paralympics in downhill, super-G, super combined, slalom and giant slalom events. At the 2018 Winter Paralympics, she won two bronze medals.

Perrine together with sighted guide Bobbi Kelly, claimed the gold medal at the 2019 World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in the Women Super Combined, along with two silver and a bronze.

Perrine has experienced both highs and lows in her athlete career. Whilst training and competing overseas, Perrine obtained a Masters of Exercise Science and Physiotherapy.

Perrine was awarded the 2019 Ski and Snowboard Australia Athlete of the Year (Paralympic disciplines) at the Annual Australian Ski & Snowboard Award after a fantastic season 2018-2019
season with 12 medals on the Para Alpine World Cup Circuit, finishing second on the Overall Para Alpine Standings for the 2018-2019 competition year.

 Jono Brauer - Dual Winter Olympian

Brauer competed at two Winter Olympics; Turin 2006 and Vancouver 2010 in Alpine Skiing.

Since retiring as an athlete, Brauer has stayed in the sport as a coach, currently the Program Director at Thredbo Mountain Academy and has set up his own junior skier development business, which focuses on developing the key fundamental skills required to develop solid skiers who could progress into whichever skiing discipline they desired.