Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

Before I start today I acknowledge the presence in this chamber of Flying Officer Kevin Wilson of the Australian Air Force, who is here as part of the Australian Defence Force Parliamentary Program. We welcome you, Kevin.

I rise to congratulate Cadel Evans on his win in the Tour de France. He is our first ever Australian Tour de France winner. Cadel is a living example of our great Australian spirit, a living example of our Australian capacity to overcome adversity both in life and in sporting endeavours. As Australians we all love our sporting heroes and we are inordinately proud of Cadel's success. We feel as though he epitomises the things we value and respect in our sports people: dedication, planning, focus and discipline, what we know would have been lonely days and lonely years of hard work and sheer determination in competition—often at times of disappointment and frustration; a very graphic example for young people of what it takes to succeed in the pursuit of their dreams and ambitions in sport and in life.

When I read the headlines, like so many of us did, I saw Cadel described as: 'King Cadel', 'Tour de Champ', 'Evans Above', 'King of the Road', and the most telling one of all, 'Our Hero'. That is what we all thought after that: he was our hero. I really want to use this as an opportunity to thank Cadel for inspiring another generation of young people to have a goal. That is what Cadel's win has done: it has inspired a whole lot of young Australians to get on a bike or to take up a sport and to have a go. They have been motivated by his success. He has demonstrated how to do it. He demonstrated that success does not necessarily come easily. He had much to overcome in his life. So young people are now looking through Cadel's life story and thinking, 'Gee, it did not just happen.'

Cadel was born in Katherine, in the Northern Territory, and spent his childhood in a small Aboriginal community. He spent seven days in an induced coma after being hit in the head by a horse. Doctors feared he would never walk again. That is an excellent motivation for young people. Cadel achieved in spite of the challenges in his life. In fact, his father described him as a good student but an ordinary kid. He said, 'Not in my wildest dreams' would he have ever imagined that his son would become a top world athlete. Cadel even says of himself: 'It is strange that I could become a professional athlete. Physically I am completely unsuitable for almost all Australian school sports. Nearly all Australian school sports require speed and/or size.' He had neither of those. What another great example for young people.

Cadel started young. He was only two when he was into BMX bikes. He made his name as a champion international mountain biker, winning world championships and world cups. His switch to road racing in 2000 saw him go on to win gold and silver medals in the Commonwealth Games, not a minor feat by any means, and gold in the World Championship elite men's road race 2009 as well as a string of major wins in Europe. He was named Australian Cyclist of the Year in 2006 and 2007. Cadel had to manage the frustration of serious injuries, something that plagues all sports people no matter what field they are in. He had to experience mechanical failures and, at times, poor support and poor form. I am sure there are a lot of sports people who would understand those challenges.

In spite of this, in the 2009 Tour de France he took two podium places, becoming one of Australia's most successful cyclists. For a third time he was named Australian Cyclist of the Year. And 2010 brought more success, and he held the yellow jersey for nine of the Tour de France stages in spite of riding with a fractured left elbow from a crash. What courage and what determination.

But as we know, it was the 2011 Tour de France victory that has ignited Australians. Thousands and thousands of us watched his progress through the stages. We saw him chase down the early breakaway and we really wondered how he would go when he had to change bikes and he fell back in the field. We wondered just how he would go after that. But I think Cadel knew not only that he had all his own qualities but that he had a nation riding with him—we were all there with him.

The excitement was quite palpable right throughout the country. If you went into an office here in Parliament House or into any office or workplace—a mechanic's shop or wherever—people were talking about Cadel Evans and willing him to win. Everyone was with him. And, by gee, wasn't the win celebrated! I know from listening to Cadel that it did not really sink in straight after his win just what he had achieved, and probably it has taken him some time to understand just what it meant to everyone in this nation. But after the welcome home parade I hope that now both Cadel and his wife, Chiara, understand just how much his win has meant. He deserves this, as does his family.

I also hope that many young Australian children who live in small, remote, rural and regional communities understand that in Australia you, like Cadel, are not limited by your postcode, and it is not just about sport. It does not matter where you are born or where you grow up, or even how many times people tell you that you do not fit the right profile for your sport or your ambition. There is no reason why you cannot, like Cadel, follow and achieve your dreams.

The name of Cadel's biography is Close to Flying, and I know that all the young people who were glued to their TVs and laptops watching the Tour de France have been inspired by Cadel's sporting achievements. But I also hope, as has been mentioned previously, that they replicate his personal qualities because, as we heard, he is one of the good guys in cycling—he loves the sport and is a fair sportsman. He has a great belief in charities and he supports the Amy Gillett Foundation to help reduce the risk of accidents between cyclists and motorists—something that he and other cyclists have to deal with every day while they are out riding.

And he has said that he has 'a long, strong passion and interest for Tibet and its culture'. He has a range of interests. He sponsors a Tibetan child living in Nepal and studying in a Tibetan school. He also supports Ian Thorpe's Fountain for Youth, which is a foundation producing and distributing reading packs to Aboriginal communities in remote Australia. For so many reasons Cadel is a living example for not only young people but for all of us who know about his story.

I want to finish by again congratulating Cadel. If you read these particular contributions, Cadel, I hope you know just how much your win has meant to millions of Australians and what a profound impact it has on the lives and dreams of some of our wonderful young people in this nation.

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