28 November 2024 | Tennis Tasmania

Tasmanian Brendon Oliver-Ewen has been announced as a finalist for the Sport Volunteer of the Year award at the AIS Sport Performance Awards (ASPAs). A founding member of Hobart Out Tennis Club (HOTC), he has significantly impacted Tasmania’s LGBTQIA+ and tennis communities. Oliver-Ewen is one of four finalists chosen from 138 nominations across 47 sports and is the only finalist across all awards representing Tennis.

“I believe tennis has been at the forefront of efforts to promote inclusion and diversity in sport, and I think any support I give to tennis is largely because of the support tennis gives my community! The very fact that Tennis Tasmania has been an active champion of our club, the fact that there is a Pride Day at the Australian Open, the fact that I received the Tasmanian volunteer award in the first place, is all indicative of the strides tennis, and Tasmanian tennis in particular, is taking to be inclusive, and that attitude drives my inspiration. Plus… I love the game. Always have, always will.”

Oliver-Ewen’s efforts have made HOTC the largest LGBTQIA+ sporting club in Tasmania and fostered inclusivity in the broader tennis community. Known for uniting diverse players, he connects them with support services and promotes acceptance. His work with local media, businesses, and Tennis Tasmania/Australia has bridged differences and created shared understanding. He advises other clubs on inclusivity and has held various leadership roles, including secretary, legal adviser, sponsorship and media lead, and tournament director.

“From five founding members, it’s (HOTC) grown to incorporate international tournaments, roadshows across Tasmania, widespread membership, events with Her Excellency the Governor and the Hon Nic Street, at the time the Minister for Sport, and incorporation into Tennis Tasmania and the Hobart International. A particularly proud moment for us came when Darren Sturgess reached out to incorporate us into plans for a Diversity Day at the Hobart International. We have a profile beyond Tasmania, and has become a real example in the tennis community of a club which lives inclusivity. I think the club started as being quite exclusively LGBTQIA+ to help create that safe space, I think that the road we are taking is to reach beyond exclusivity and instead promote all communities coming to play together.”

“It (HOTC) provides a judgement-free, accepting and inclusive environment which is increasingly hard to find these days when life is so divisive. It makes me feel like I have friends and a community, not like I’m an outsider. I think the experience for others has been the same: no matter how many negative messages are thrown around out in the world, every Tuesday night we have a place where we can be safe.”

2023 saw Oliver-Ewen’s tireless contribution to tennis recognised when announced as recipient of the Volunteer Achievement Award at the Tasmanian Tennis Awards, followed by the coveted Volunteer Achievement Award at the Newcombe Medal Tennis Australia Awards, the first Tasmanian award winner in 12 years. HOTC were also awarded the inaugural Most Outstanding Inclusion Initiative at the 2024 Tasmanian Tennis awards.

“At last year’s Newcombe Medal one of the most unforgettable moments was a passion-charged speech from Volunteer of the Year Brendon Oliver-Ewen about tennis being a great vehicle to enable a wonderfully inclusive space for the LGBTQ+ community in Tasmania. Brendon’s emotion and commitment were powerful.” Said Craig Tiley, Tennis Australia CEO.

Oliver-Ewen will attend the ASPAs with his husband Rod in Melbourne on Wednesday 4 December 2024. He also asked us to make a particular note: ‘Special thanks in particular must go to Darren Sturgess, who has been a mentor, guide and fierce advocate for us. Thank you also to the wonderful teams at the Domain Tennis Centre and Lindisfarne Tennis Centre. We are a club without courts, and these two clubs in particular have taken us in and made us feel like part of the tennis family.’

Tennis Tasmania would like to extend congratulations to Oliver-Ewen for his accomplishments and commitment to tennis and the LGBTQIA+ community and wish him luck next week at the ASPAs.