Celebrating our Sydney 2000
Olympic Games heroes: Greg

In September 2025, Australia celebrates the 25^th anniversary of the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games. And while the athletes stole the show, the event International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch declared “the best Olympic Games ever” could not have happened without the efforts of thousands of unsung heroes – including our residents.

Meet Greg

Greg lives at Bathurst Riverview Care Community, three hours west of Sydney. A Rural Fire Service volunteer for more than 50 years and a veteran of the railways, Greg thrives on pressure – making him an ideal volunteer in policing at the Games. 

Greg was stationed at Lidcombe Gates, which acted as the single point of connection to Sydney Olympic Park for the millions of visitors who caught the train to the Games. Ensuring people got to Olympic Park safely and efficiently was essential to the Games’ success.

“They asked all the emergency services for volunteers,” recalls Greg. “That was a smart move. From the police to the ambulance service to us firies – we’re used to dealing with logistics and difficult situations, so it made sense for us to do the work.” 

“I was billeted in the Hawkesbury area for the Olympics and Lidcombe Hospital for the Paralympics. If you wore your uniform, you got free transport. Catching the RiverCat ferry to the Games each day was a big highlight as I’d never been on the Parramatta River before. It was a nice trip too - wherever you went in your uniform, people would thank you and say they were proud of you.” 

Finding inspiration in attitude

In a month of highlights, one Paralympic athlete from Mexico encapsulated the spirit of the Games.

“His circumstances didn’t matter to him,” says Greg. “He was determined to be at the Games, no matter what, and he made it – and he won a swag of gold medals. I saw that attitude in all the Paralympic athletes I met. Whether they had no arms, limited eyesight, travelled in a wheelchair or used a cane, they were united by this tremendous determination and that was just so inspiring.” 

For Greg, the spirit of the time and the contributions of those we’ll never hear about stand out.

“The shopkeepers and businesses around Lidcombe deserve enormous credit,” he says. “They worked so hard and gave so much to make sure everyone enjoyed the Games.”

“And the logistics were so well synchronised. The way they got people to the Games on buses from difficult places to travel from, like the Northern Beaches, was amazing. Everyone did their bit. It was school holiday time and people with little buses from places like Moree and Brewarrina had travelled to Sydney to help – everyone chipped in and did their job brilliantly.”

“And it’s left a real legacy for our state and for Australia. None of the big events we’ve held since could have happened without the work so many people put in.”

People just like Greg.