Cheese and Chats: Life Lessons from Elite Sport

For elite athletes, the journey doesn't end when competition does. In many cases, the biggest challenge is what comes next.

Join UQ Olympians and Paralympians for an engaging conversation about life in elite sport, how their experiences have shaped them as leaders and navigating the challenges of a new chapter.

Together, they’ll  explore how leadership skills developed through elite sport translate to careers beyond competition,and how they’ve navigated major life changes, managed expectations and redefined success.

Whether you’re passionate about sport, curious about leadership or navigating your own change, join us in partnership with UQ's Queensland Centre for Olympic and Paralympic Studies for great conversation and fresh perspectives on life, leadership and success beyond the sporting arena.

Event details

Date: Wednesday 18 November 2026
Time: 5:30–7:30pm
Venue: UQ Brisbane City, 308 Queen Street, Brisbane
Cost: $25 (includes light refreshments)

Panellists

Bronwyn Thompson OLY (Bachelor of Physiotherapy ’99)

A 3-time Olympian, Bronwyn Thompson OLY represented Australia in long jump at Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008, and won gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. She has also attended both the Olympic and Commonwealth Games as a coach.

Beyond athletics, Thompson has built a distinguished career in healthcare and leadership. She is Director of Physiotherapy at Children’s Health Queensland, holds an academic title of Senior Lecturer at UQ and is a member of the Children’s Health Queensland Board. She has also served as Chair of the Queensland Academy of Sport Board, reflecting her commitment to helping others achieve their potential, both in sport and healthcare.

Toby Jenkins OLY (Bachelor of Commerce ’02)

Toby Jenkins OLY represented Australia in water polo at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games before building a successful career as an executive coach, author, speaker and entrepreneur.

Drawing on his experiences in elite sport and business, Jenkins has worked with global executives, entrepreneurs, elite athletes and organisations including Google, Rio Tinto and the Australian Institute of Sport. His work focuses on resilience, leadership and performance under pressure, exploring how lessons from high-performance sport can be applied to leadership and life beyond competition.

Professor Paul Harpur OAM PLY

A 2-time Paralympian, Professor Paul Harpur OAM PLY represented Australia in goalball at Sydney 2000 and athletics at Athens 2004. He is now a Professor at UQ's TC Beirne School of Law and Director of the UQ Disability Collaboratory.

An internationally recognised disability rights scholar and advocate, Professor Harpur was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2024 for his service to people with disability. His career demonstrates how leadership and determination can drive meaningful change well beyond the sporting arena.

Moderator

Jillian Whiting (Bachelor of Arts ’91)

Jillian Whiting is an experienced journalist and TV presenter who works with leading Australian businesses in media and presentation training and communication workshops.

Best known as a television newsreader and reporter, Whiting has worked as a reporter on Channel Seven's top-rating breakfast TV program, Sunrise and is currently a presenter on Channel Seven’s popular lifestyle program, Weekender.