Nova Peris draws on her own life experiences to make real change in her community.
Nova Peris, is a renowned Aboriginal Australian athlete, Olympian and former politician. She made history as the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal, competing with the Hockeyroos at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Incredibly, she then switched sports to track and field and won two more gold medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur and went on to run at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. As a strong advocate for Indigenous rights, she served as the first Aboriginal woman in the Australian Senate from 2013 to 2016. Additionally, she founded the Nova Peris Girls’ Academy to support Indigenous girls’ education and has received various accolades for her contributions to sports and advocacy.
Australia's First Aboriginal & Northern Territorian to Win an Olympic Gold Medal.
Nova Peris made history as the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal with the Hockeyroos at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She was also the first mother to win a gold medal for Australia since 1956. Born in Darwin in 1971, she was known for her speed and agility in hockey.
Peris is unique for competing in two sports—hockey and athletics—across separate Olympic Games. She is the only athlete to reach back-to-back Olympic finals in different sports and to win both Olympic and Commonwealth gold medals in different sports.
Australia's First Aboriginal Woman elected to Federal Parliament.
Since the mid-1990s, Nova Peris has spoken regularly on the plights facing Aboriginal people and has visited hundreds of communities throughout Australia to gain as much of an insight as possible into the issues facing people from all walks of life.
Utilising the significant platform of Federal Parliament, Nova has given a voice to thousands of people who otherwise go unheard. She has undoubtedly made an enormously positive and life-changing impact on young Aboriginal people, not just through her words but also her actions.
