In 2024, the world watched Olympic Road cyclists weave through Paris, across cobbled streets, past the Eiffel Tower and into the sweeping Chevreuse Valley.
In 2032, that spotlight shifts to Alexandra Headland, where the course will lead Olympic and Paralympic cyclists through the Sunshine Coast’s most breathtaking landscapes: along its coastline, into the hinterland ranges and past the iconic Glass House Mountains.
It will be our postcard to the world.
It is proposed that the Coast will host nine events during the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Each event is poised to showcase our remarkable landscapes and the warmth, energy and spirit of our communities.
However, the true measure of success won’t be the four weeks of events, but the legacy the Games will leave behind for decades to come.
As the six-year countdown approaches, the Coast’s role in co-hosting the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games is shifting from ambition to action – bringing much-needed community infrastructure, opportunities for local business and regional benefits into focus.
Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli says the region is now seeing real Games momentum as we move from planning to delivery, with key projects such as the Sunshine Coast Stadium upgrade, the Mountain Bike Centre and the Maroochydore City Centre arena and Athlete Village taking shape.
“These are not just Games venues: they are lasting investments for our region that will support our community well beyond 2032,” Mayor Natoli says.
“For our region, this is about turning a global event into real, local opportunities for our businesses, our athletes and our environment, while delivering long-term tourism and economic benefits, now and into the future.
“Most importantly, we’re determined to make sure our residents benefit the most from our role as a Co-Host City for the world’s greatest sporting event.”
Sunshine Coast Stadium – the Sunshine Coast Stadium upgrade project has now reached design phase and is on track to open to the community in 2030.
It is proposed to host Olympic football in 2032.
Permanent seating at the stadium will expand from 1046 to more than 10,000, boosting capacity to host major sporting and entertainment events while delivering a world-class, inclusive place to celebrate local, national and international talent.
Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre – the Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre at Maroochy River is on track to open in 2030, creating the region’s first purpose-built, nature-based recreation precinct. With world class mountain bike trails, trail running and bushwalking, it will connect into more than 40km of existing trails through Parklands Conservation Park.
In 2032, the centre will host Olympic mountain biking.
Arena and cultural precinct – momentum is building around the proposed arena in the Maroochydore City Centre, supporting the Coast’s emerging CBD with ongoing planning and design works being undertaken.
Local business opportunities – a recent Brisbane 2032 procurement and supply chain event held on the Coast brought together more than 500 business representatives, highlighting the scale of opportunity available to our local industry.
A number of early work packages for Games-related projects has been released by Brisbane 2032 (the Organising Committee) and are already in market, with further tenders to be released as projects progress.
Public transport – underpinning all of this is the delivery of The Wave public transport system. This will
connect the Coast to Brisbane, with rail from Beerwah through Caloundra to Birtinya and then a dedicated metro system through to Maroochydore and on to Sunshine Coast Airport.
“We have been calling for this kind of infrastructure for decades and the Games are the catalyst which will finally see it happen,” Mayor Natoli says.
COUNTDOWN IS ON
The International Olympic Committee, with Brisbane 2032 and the Queensland government, is reviewing the sports program for the Games. Final sports and disciplines will be confirmed later this year, followed by the competition venues.
The Olympic competition events currently proposed for the Sunshine Coast are:
- athletics – marathon
- athletics – race walk
- cycling – road
- cycling – mountain bike
- sailing – kiteboarding
- football
- basketball.
Paralympic competition events:
Venues
The proposed Coast venues for these events include:
- Kawana Precinct, including an expanded Sunshine Coast Stadium (Olympic football preliminaries)
- Alexandra Headland which will accommodate road-based events (Olympic cycling, marathon and race walks, plus Paralympic cycling and marathon) and kiteboarding competition (Olympic sailing)
- The new Sunshine Coast Mountain Bike Centre at Maroochy River (Olympic mountain bike competition)
- Sunshine Coast Athletes Village and Arena which will be located in the heart of the new Maroochydore City Centre.
Q&A with three local elite athletes
Three Sunshine Coast athletes. One shared goal: Brisbane 2032.
My Weekly Preview speaks with Paralympian Grace Brimelow (para triathlon) and water polo players Patrick Bonser and Chase Staskiewicz as they chase Olympic qualification.
How did you first get into your sport?
GRACE (age 19): I got into my first sport via my physical education teacher at the time, Maureen Cummings. I did Little Athletics from the age of six, and I have been swimming since I was four months old. I have always loved riding a bike, and while I find it tricky, I am a bit of a daredevil, so it was fun.
CHASE (15): I first got into water polo through my older brother and that made me be around the pool a lot when I was growing up. Then, I started local competitions and training, leading to bigger tournaments and competition.
PATRICK (15): I started as a swimmer. Then, my brother got me
into water polo with our local club. Then, I started the Sunshine Coast School Competition.
What’s the next big milestone you’re aiming for before the 2032 Olympics?
GRACE: The next big milestone I’m aiming for before Brisbane is LA28. I am taking one event at a time. So, World Champs in September will be important. All our races give us points and ranking. So, each one is important. The aim is to grab a win and to stand on the podium at the Brisbane ’32 Games.
CHASE: My next major goal is making the Under-18 World Championships team. That would be a huge step in my development as a player and would give me valuable international experience on the pathway towards Brisbane 2032.
PATRICK: Staying in the national pathway for the next few years is something I’m aiming for, but playing AWL (Australian Waterpolo League) would be a huge milestone for me.
What’s something people don’t understand about the effort it takes to reach elite level?
GRACE: I think most people do not realise that reaching the elite level takes ‘next level’ work – not super hard work all the time, but consistency: ‘turning up’ repeatedly. By turning up, I mean body and mind. Be invested and treat it like it matters. Talent is one thing, but turning up with that talent and working at it and every little part of it, over and over, is what it takes.
CHASE: People underestimate how much work happens behind the scenes. Water polo takes a lot of physical and mental commitment: early mornings, long training sessions, gym work,
recovery and balancing sport with
school and everyday life. You must stay disciplined and consistent over a long period of time. And not to forget the effort my parents put into me as well.
PATRICK: People think showing up and doing what you’re asked is going to be enough, but it simply isn’t. In my experience, the players that don’t apply themselves to their maximum capacity won’t get as much as the one that does. Overall, reaching the elite level isn’t just about how much you train, but how you apply yourself.
If you imagine yourself at the Olympics, what does that moment look like?
GRACE: Wearing the green and gold is amazing. There is no greater honour. But my experience at Paris was one of a great fall. Putting yourself out there takes courage. And in Paris, that courage was tested when it didn’t go to plan. And I knew then that my next moment was four years away. So, I imagine myself being there and being grateful for the opportunity and being determined to put everything I have on the line.
CHASE: I imagine walking out with the Australian team in front of a home crowd in Brisbane and representing my country at the highest level. It would be a really big moment for me and my family after years of hard work.
PATRICK: For me, it’s the absolute dream. To be on the world stage in my own backyard representing not only the region I grew up in, but most importantly a reflection on all the years of work myself and my family have put into my sporting dreams and ambitions.
To support their journey to the Olympics, donate at:
Chase: asf.org.au/preview/mens-u16-water-polo-world-championships-chase-staskiewicz
Pat: asf.org.au/campaigns/sarah-bonser/patrick-bonser-u16-waterpolo-worlds
Grace: gracebrimelowsport.com
