Anita Palm OLY has had a distinguished career as a multi-sport athlete and sports administrator. She represented Australia in beach volleyball, indoor volleyball and softball before transitioning to roles in sports administration and strategic leadership.
With over 20 years of experience, Ms Palm has worked with Olympic Games, sports and government organisations. She is currently a Senior Consultant with Suiko Consulting, advising Olympic-bidding cities and Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs). As Sports Director for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, she developed innovative strategies, including the promotion of gender-equal events.
Ms Palm is a Volleyball Australia Hall of Fame inductee and has had a successful international career in beach volleyball. She continues to contribute to sports through various volunteer positions and is a passionate advocate for women in sport.
If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
“If I could snap my fingers we would live in a sustainable world – where animals, plants and the earth were valued as interconnected and vital to our own peace and prosperity.”
What inspired you to pursue the career path you eventually chose?
“My love of sport was the seed for nearly everything I’ve done in my career, but it was my great uncle, the famous Australian aviator Bert Hinkler, who was the first person to fly solo from England to Australia in 1928, who inspired me to explore the world. I grew up hearing stories from my grandmother about his inventions and exploits around the world while my father discovered his original hand-built glider under his grandmother’s house in Bundaberg.”
