The hidden heroes of the Olympic Games

Naomi Gordon-Anderson 

For international studies and communications graduate Naomi, a career in sport wasn’t on her radar, until one of the world’s biggest cycling events dropped into town.  

“During my marketing major, a lecturer sent out a few internship options - one being a Workforce Support Officer for Wollongong 2022 Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). When I first applied, I thought it was a small bike race but figured I’d take the opportunity. I had no idea it was the major sporting event it was, and I ended up absolutely loving it,” says Naomi.  

Now two years on, Naomi is on the ground in Paris working twelve hours a day, six days a week, in preparation for the Opening Ceremony.  

As a workforce coordinator for On Location, Naomi and her team are responsible for ensuring staff are trained, uniformed and accredited to make sure all events run smoothly.  

“A massive part of my current position is working with people. In that sense, UOW’s focus on teamwork prepared me by encouraging sociability and the confidence to speak up and share thoughts and ideas,” she recalls.  

“Although I must say, it is unfortunate that I chose Spanish for my language minor instead of French… that may have prepared me a tad more!"

^{Naomi's role has taken her to the centre of the French capital. Image: supplied}

Reece Carter and Ryan Ellul 

Journalism graduate Reece Carter has had an exciting career in sports media, managing the NRL’s social media for seven seasons before launching Sport Design Australia, an Instagram-based platform connecting sporting brands with freelance creatives.  

With the help of business partner and fellow UOW graduate Ryan Ellul (Bachelor of Commerce, Marketing and Public Relations) Sport Design Australia has grown exponentially, working with major clients including Paramount+ Australia, Sydney Swans and the Matildas.  

This year will see their design on the world stage with the launch of the Australian rowing team the Rowsellas new brand identity and Olympic kit, a feat Reece and Ryan call a “pinch me moment.” 

“When Rowing Australia approached us with the opportunity to bring to life the Rowsellas branding, I don't think we truly understood how monumental the moment was. To be able to play a small role in the future brand of our national rowing team is a dream come true. We're all still pinching ourselves that the little challenger brand Sport Design Australia was trusted with such a task ahead of the Olympics. We're incredibly proud of ourselves and the team of creatives that we get to work with on projects such as this,” says Ryan. 

“We're quite new compared to a lot of other established agencies, and if you had told me at the time of starting this business that we would have created a brand and logo for an Olympic team ahead of Paris 2024, I definitely wouldn't have believed you,” adds Reece. 

“We're absolutely honoured to have designed the new logo for Rowing Australia, and we can't wait to see the brand on our screens during the Olympics and Paralympics and for generations to come.” 

^{(L-R) Reece Carter, Cass Anderson and Ryan Ellul are co-founders of Sport Design Australia. Image: supplied}

Maddie Date 

Based in London, arts and journalism graduate Maddie is heading across the Channel to capture all the excitement of Paris 2024. 

A sport fanatic, Maddie's career began at ABC Illawarra, but she continued producing her own sport content on social media as a passion project. As the excitement of the Women’s World Cup swept Australia, she knew she wanted to get closer to the action, moving to England to work with EPL teams. 

Now a junior producer for Little Dot Studios, Maddie is a specialist in vertical video production, managing the official TikTok pages of Emirates FA Cup and creating content for women’s teams such as Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United. She has since been tasked with capturing behind the scenes content for the USA’s Olympic broadcasters NBC and Peacock.  

“It’s surreal to say I’ll be working at the Olympics, and in such a hands-on role. I knew moving to London that the Olympics would be close by, but I never could’ve guessed that taking up this new job could lead to an opportunity like this,” she says.   

Maddie reflects on her time at UOW and how it prepared her for a global career in sports journalism. 

“One of the most important parts of my UOW experience was volunteering for UOWTV - learning how to create quality content from scratch with just a phone, being comfortable with and having the confidence to interact with all kinds of people, hustling and working hard for a story,” she says. 

“I can’t wait to tackle the challenge of every new day, learn about some of the more unique sports and eat many croissants. Hopefully it’s the first Olympics of many!”

^{Maddie Date's career has led her to the Emirates FA Cup, EPL and now the Olympics. Image: supplied}