Australia, Optus launch Think Big Challenge

“One of the great things we want to do is really get people immersed in some of the challenges some of these athletes have. From that we can hopefully come up with solutions and better ideas”

Major Partner of the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC), Optus has come up with an innovating challenge which will look to shape the direction of the Australian Paralympic Team in the lead up to Tokyo 2020.

Optus’ ‘Think Big’ Team – an internal working team that builds on capability and culture at Optus – will for the first time develop a problem-solving solution for an outside organisation.

Named the ‘Think Big Gold Medal Challenge,’ the team will look to help develop a technological solution around limited funding and limited access to coaching, to better equip Australia’s Paralympians for a competitive edge at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

“We’ve been working on business problems over the last 12 months, but we really wanted to come up with an opportunity to get everyone involved and excited, and the Australian Paralympic Committee is something that everyone at Optus wants to contribute to,” said Think Big Director, John Chan.

“One of the great things we want to do is really get people immersed in some of the challenges some of these athletes have. From that we can hopefully come up with solutions and better ideas.”

Contributing AUD 50,000 to the winning idea, Optus and the APC are hoping to see the idea implemented which in turn will increase their medal success at Tokyo 2020.

Having used technology to better develop many of Australia’s medal winning Paralympians in the lead up to the Rio Games, APC Skill Acquisition Specialist Ross Pinder said the concept matches with the APC’s vision of developing athletes.

“The ultimate goal is that we want to win more medals in Tokyo but to get there means connecting our people better, connecting our athletes and coaches better, and allowing them to train or better connect or develop relationships, than we do now,” Pinder said.

“To have our performance services team access daily training environments, with the challenges we face will be huge for skill acquisition in sport.

“There’s a whole lot of other range of opportunities, particularly around coach development and specialist services like myself to come up with new ideas but also linking coaches from multiple sports to each other to come up with and share ideas.”

APC Chief Executive Lynne Anderson said it could mean the difference between achieving the top five finish for Tokyo and missing out.

“We’re incredibly fortunate to have Optus on board as a sponsor, they just go well beyond the traditional sponsorship partnership,” Anderson said.

“For us that means they are embracing the ideals and vision and our goals and to have a sponsor to get into some programmes that will allow us to impact that result is very exciting for everyone across the board.

“For us to take partners of excellence within Optus and refine what we can do is really powerful and I have no doubt it will achieve good results for us.”

More information on the APC and Optus’ Think Big Challenge can be found on the APC’s website.