Brand Ambassador Program

Our Brand Ambassador Program offers a unique opportunity for local athletes to excel.

VenuesWest is proud to support Western Australian athletes as they train and compete at the highest possible levels.

As part of this commitment, VenuesWest offers a unique opportunity for local high-performance athletes to become a VenuesWest ambassador.

Following a rigorous two-month selection process, Rhiannon Clarke, Kurtis Marschall, Genevieve Hart and Natasha Rigby have been selected as the four successful ambassadors for 2023/24.

The successful ambassadors for 2023 will each receive an $8000 sponsorship to assist with training and competition expenses ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In 2021, four of the state's high performing athletes were selected for the VenuesWest Brand Ambassador Program ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The previous program ran for 18 months, officially beginning 1 November 2021 through to 30 June 2023.

Of the 78 Western Australian athletes selected for the Australian Olympic and Paralympic team of the 2020 Tokyo games, six were former VenuesWest Brand Ambassadors; Amber Merritt (wheelchair basketball), Nina Kennedy (athletics pole vault), Nikita Hains (diving), Brianna Throssell (swimming), Zoe Arancini (water polo), and Sarah Edmiston (athletics F44 discus).

At the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, 53 Western Australian athletes across 14 sports were selected in the Australian squad. Of these 53 athletes, eight athletes were current or former Brand Ambassadors; Robyn Lambird (current ambassador - T34 100m wheelchair racing), Brianna Throssell (swimming), Nina Kennedy (athletics pole vault), Sarah Edmiston (athletics F44 discus), Nikita Hains (diving), Courtney Bruce (netball), Conor Leahy (track cycling) and Amber Merritt (wheelchair basketball).

Several of our brand ambassadors, past and present, feature in our Just Add Venue campaign. This campaign shows the importance of having access to the right venue, and that the premium facilities VenuesWest offer provides athletes with the optimal setting to reach their full potential.

Gen Hart

Sport: Rowing

Instagram: @gen.hart

TikTok: @ggen.hart

Gen trains at the Champion Lakes Regatta Centre and hopes to be selected in the Under 23 Australian Rowing Team next year. She has an inspirational goal of one-day winning Olympic gold.

On Using VenuesWest Facilities:

"I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to train and compete at Champion Lakes Regatta Centre for many years. From learning to row as a school girl, to preparing for the Senior World Cups and Under23 World Championships, the venue's world class rowing course and facilities have catered to my every level, and allowed me to gain valuable experience and excel in my sport. The Regatta Centre is incredibly versatile, filled with friendly, helpful and dedicated staff. It is deeply cherished by the whole rowing community."

On Being a Brand Ambassador:

"I have found being a VenuesWest Brand Ambassador such a rewarding and supportive experience. It’s given me the opportunity to meet and work with so many inspiring people on different sporting paths. I’ve also had the opportunity to meet the other Ambassadors and form rewarding friendships with them. It is great hearing about their experiences and learning from them too. The financial and day to day support from the incredible team at VenuesWest has helped my performance by allowing me to travel to integral competitions and qualify for Australian trials."

Kurtis Marschall

Sport: Athletics - Pole vault

Instagram: @kurtismarschall

Twitter: @kurtismarschall

TikTok: @kurtismarschall

Achievements: Gold medallist at the Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Kurtis has also competed at the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games.

Upcoming Events: Kurtis is currently training and competing in Europe and will compete at the Paris Olympics in August.

On Using VenuesWest Facilities:

"As an elite athlete I need to train every day. Having access to a world class facility like WAIS, not just for training but also recovery and meetings, means I'm able to perform at a consistently high level, stay focused and achieve better results for the long term. The WA Athletics Stadium is also set up perfectly for pole vaulting and the more that I can train in a competition-like environment, the better I can perform in real competitions. At these venues, I'm inspired by the people within them and the legacy of the elite athletes who have trained there."

Rhiannon Clarke

Sport: Para Athletics - 100m T38 and 400m T38
Instagram: @rhiannonclarke_
TikTok: @rhiannon.clarke_
Achievements: Rhiannon trains at WA Athletics Stadium and competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 in the 100m T38 and 400m T38, earning an Australian record. She also won a bronze medal in the 100m T38 at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Upcoming Events: Rhiannon is currently preparing for the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

On Being a Brand Ambassador:

"I would definitely recommend the VenuesWest Ambassador Program to other athletes. The team has been supporting elite athletes for many years and this provides me with the opportunity to make connections in the industry and work with VenuesWest on a personal level. The funding from VenuesWest is also very important, especially for para-athletes preparing for the Paralympics, such as organising equipment and accessing training. I’ve enjoyed the experiences I’ve had as an Ambassador, especially the speaking opportunities and the ability to give back to the sporting community and inspire the next generation of athletes."
On Using VenuesWest Facilities:
"WAIS and the WA Athletics Stadium are amazing high-performance facilities that meet my needs as a sprinter, especially having access to one of few mondo tracks in Australia at the Athletics Stadium. The atmosphere is always great at the venue and athletics is certainly growing in WA because of the facilities available. As a student athlete, I’m at WAIS almost every day for weight training, indoor track, water running, cardio, recovery and to study, so to have everything in one place is very convenient and it gives me a competitive edge."

Tash Rigby

Sport: Football/Soccer

Instagram: @tashrigby_

Achievements: Tash is captain of the Perth Glory Women's team and has signed on again for the 2023/24 season. This will be her fifth campaign as skipper of her home-state club and she is poised to make her 100th appearance in purple.

Upcoming Events: Tash has goals in the next two years to win an A-League Grand Final and compete for Matilda's selection.

On Using VenuesWest Facilities:

"Playing at HBF Park recently was one of the most amazing experiences. The facilities are phenomenal, the pitch is incredible and it was very special to play on the same field as some of my favourite players who had just been there for the World Cup Qualifier. The recovery zone in particular at HBF park is really important to us as we’re able to look after our bodies properly during the season. I also had the opportunity to play at the Sam Kerr Football Centre recently which was exciting because of how well equipped it is to host national and international teams."

On Being a Brand Ambassador:

"It has been incredible to be a VenuesWest Brand Ambassador because I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many fantastic people that are a part of all the venues in the portfolio. The financial support has helped me to access the equipment I need to train and play, so I’ve been able to take a step back from work and put more focus on my sport, really allowing me to be the best I can be."

Image credit: Perth Glory

Darcee Garbin

Sport: Basketball, Australian National Team - Opals & Australian WNBL - Perth Lynx

Instagram: @darceegarbin

Twitter: @darceegarbin

Achievements: Champion - Australian WNBL 2015/16, 2017/18, MVP - World University Games 2017, Perth Lynx Runner Up WNBL Grand Final 2022, Bronze medal for the Opals at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2023

"It's a huge honour to be selected as a VenuesWest ambassador and throughout both my junior and senior basketball career I have used VenuesWest training facilities. More recently trying to navigate training and competition around the impacts of COVID, I have been able to use multiple VenuesWest facilities to stay focused on my training and work towards my sporting goals. The funding from the program has assisted me in travelling between my home in Perth and Melbourne as I try to make the Opals World Cup team for Sydney 2022. I feel a great sense of pride being a WA athlete representing VenuesWest."

David Bryant

Sport: Para Athletics - Para Triathlon

Instagram: @davidcatalystdietician

Facebook: Catalyst Dietitian - David Bryant

Achievements: Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games - 7th, Newcastle 2020 OTU Paratriathlon Oceania Championships - 1st, Oceania 2022 Triathlon Para Cup Devenport, 2022 World Triathlon Para Series Yokohama - 4th, 2022 World Triathlon Para Series Montreal - 6th, 2022 World Triathlon Para Series Swansea - 4th, 2023 World Triathlon Para Series Yokohama - 3rd

"VenuesWest has provided world class training facilities since I first began my triathlon career back in 2007. Fast track to 2021, post Tokyo Paralympics, it is very fitting that I join the team as an ambassador for the wonderful environment VenuesWest provides to produce world class athletes."

Robyn Lambird

Sport: Para Athletics - T34 100m wheelchair racing

Instagram: @robynlambird

Twitter: @robyn_lambird

Achievements: Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games - Bronze Medalist in Wheelchair Racing (first ever non-binary Paralympics medalist), Fourth place at 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games

"I'm so grateful to be a part of the VenuesWest Ambassador program. The financial assistance received will aid in the purchase of vital equipment such as tyres and other racing chair components, as well as supporting access to high level international competition ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham."

Tamsin Cook

Sport: Swimming

Instagram: @tamsincook

Achievements: Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games - Bronze Medalist in the Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay (heat swimmer), Rio 2016 Olympic Games - Silver Medalist in the Women's 4 x 200m Freestyle relay)

"Being selected for the VenuesWest Ambassador Program was a huge honour for me, having used VenuesWest facilities for over 10 years and for two Olympic Preparations. Recently, support from the Ambassador Program has allowed me to travel and compete in key domestic meets in preparation for a busy year of international racing with the World Swimming Championships in Budapest, and Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, both taking place in 2022. These competitions are seen as integral steppingstones on the path to Paris 2024. The VenuesWest team truly understands the demands of being an elite athlete and through the Ambassador Program have committed to helping West Australian athletes, like myself, achieve our highest potential. I am incredibly proud to be an Ambassador, and love being able to represent the WA sporting community through my partnership with VenuesWest."