University of the Sunshine Coast sport scientist and Paralympic swimming champion Professor Brendan Burkett will present a public lecture on Friday 29 May on how to promote leadership and teamwork within sporting teams.

Professor Burkett will draw on his rich experiences as an international competitor and as Australia’s Paralympic swimming team’s sport science coordinator for his presentation on ‘Leadership and Teamwork: Keys to Success’.

Professor Burkett’s presentation will be held at the USC Sports Stadium recreation room from 5.30-6pm as part of USC’s ‘Friday Night Sport Talks’ series.

To register for this event, contact Tania Stevenson on tstevens@usc.edu.au or 5459 4823.

Professor Burkett, whose expertise is in Biomechanics, represented Australia for 13 years as a swimmer, setting world records and winning a swag of medals at Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships.

He captained the Australian team at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics and was the Australian flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony of the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games. In 2009, he was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.

The Friday Night Sport Talks are aimed at people aged 13 and up but are open to anyone with an interest in sport, health and well-being.

The talks are a joint initiative of USC Sport Science, Centre for Support and Advancement of Learning and Teaching (C-SALT), the USC junior basketball club (USCBC) and USC Sport. They were initiated through an Office of Engagement Research Support Grant.

They are sponsored by local sport retailers and hosted by USCBC.

Future talk topics will be ‘Don’t Forget Recovery!’ on 12 June and ‘Move Well, Play Well: Improve Your Game with Biomechanics’ on 31 July.

— Terry Walsh