CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Mr DAVID SMITH (Bean—Government Whip) (10:07): Those that know me know that one of my favourite things to do is to get out and walk. I'm lucky that, down in my community, I have no shortage of trails to trek, with Farrer Ridge being one of my most travelled. But, whilst I may get out and walk as much as I can, I know I wouldn't be able to keep up with Timothy Fraser, who made his debut for Australia at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

Timothy competes in the 10,000-kilometre walk and is an incredible representative from the southern Canberra community. In training, he wasn't only able to take advantage of all the paths and trails across Bean; he was able to access cutting-edge facilities at the Australian Institute of Sport, living at the AIS Altitude House—Australia's largest simulated altitude accommodation facility, which supports training for endurance and specialised recovery.

And he was not alone in Glasgow, with southsider Samuel Rizzo competing in the men's 1,500-metre T54. Samuel was able to attend the games and compete in his sport with assistance from both direct athlete support and Local Sporting Champions, and what a fantastic result he achieved, bringing home bronze in his event. Not only do these athletes represent the best of Australia and our community, wearing the green and gold with pride, but they show the importance of supporting our athletes to access facilities and supports so that they can perform at their best.

I'm proud to be a member in a government that provides exactly that support here in Canberra. Going back to where I started this speech, the Menslink Great Walk is coming up soon, and I'm glad to say that I'll be participating again this year. Menslink is an organisation that does fantastic work across our community, supporting young men and boys to make better choices and engage positively with society through a range of education and mentoring programs.

The Great Walk has been running since 2021 and involves community leaders walking 140 kilometres of the centenary trail here in Canberra—20 to 30 kilometres a day over a five-day timeframe. It has raised over $1.83 million for the organisation across the five years it's been running. I'll be sure to continue to promote this organisation as I gear up to walk later this year, in November, so that the Canberra community can get behind it.

This year, I'm aiming to do 80 walks in 80 days, starting this weekend in preparation. I know the south will continue to get behind all those that do incredible work in and on behalf of our community. The DEPUTY SPEAKER ( Ms Lawrence ): All the best for that.