Kitty Chiller honoured for significant services to sport

Leading sporting administrator and Olympian, Kitty
Chiller has been appointed as a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia (General
Division) during Australia Day celebrations for her significant services to
sport.
Kitty Chiller AM is being honoured for her work in Modern Pentathlon as
both a competitor and senior administrator, plus a broad range of achievements across
35 years in domestic and international sport.
Ms Chiller’s services to Modern Pentathlon as a competitor include being
the first ever female to represent Australia in Pentathlon at the Olympic Games
(Sydney 2000); earning the world number one ranking and being a winner of 7
World Cup medals.
As an administrator, Ms Chiller has been the President of Modern
Pentathlon Australia for the last 10 years alongside her Presidency of the
sport’s Oceania Confederation while also serving as a current Executive Member
of the sport’s international governing body.
Outside of her extensive Modern Pentathlon achievements and
contributions, Ms Chiller is the current CEO of Gymnastics Australia, President
of the Oceania Gymnastics Union and is an Executive Member of the International
Gymnastics Federation.
“I have an incredible passion for sport at all levels – participation to
elite – and I have been extremely lucky to have been able to work in an area
that I care about so much all my life,” Ms Chiller said.
“For me working in sport is a joy, so, to be recognised with this honour
is both unexpected and humbling. I hope to be able to keep contributing to
sport domestically and internationally for many more years to come.”
Ms Chiller also has a long history of service to the Olympic movement
with a list of senior roles as far back as Seoul 1988 where she was the
Australian Olympic Team’s first ever Press Attaché. She also served as coach
and manager of the Australian men’s pentathlon team in Atlanta, 1996; was on
the pentathlon selection panel for Beijing 2008 and was Deputy Chef de Mission
in London 2012.
More recently, Ms Chiller was Chef de Mission of the Australian Olympic
Team in Rio 2016, the first ever female to hold this prestigious position. She
has also sat on the Australian Olympic Committee Executive Board since 2013 and
late last year she was appointed to the International Olympic Committee’s Athlete’s
Entourage Commission.
“Given the enormous breadth of commitment that Kitty has given Australia
sport in so many capacities, this honour is richly deserved,” said Australian
Olympic Committee President, John Coates.
“An Olympian, a champion of her sport in this country, a tireless
contributor to the AOC as a Chef de Mission, Deputy Chef and Team Manager. She
is unique really.
“An Olympic coach, then a competitor and ultimately the Chef de Mission
in Rio, a role that Kitty carried out with great distinction.
“Kitty continues to contribute to this day as an Executive Member of the
AOC, the IOC’s Athlete’s Entourage Commission and of course guiding Gymnastics
Australia as CEO.
“I can’t think of any other Australian who, like Kitty, has sat on the
International Executives of two Olympic sports as she does with Gymnastics and
Modern Pentathlon.
“Modern Pentathlon, the Olympic movement and Australian sport more
broadly have been very lucky to benefit from Kitty’s drive and talents.”
Gymnastics Australia President, Sam McKay, praised Ms Chiller as a
tireless campaigner for women in sport and recognised her extensive
contribution to sport generally and to gymnastics in more recent times.
“The honour being bestowed upon Kitty is befitting of her contribution to
sport at all levels, both in Australia and around the world,” Mr McKay said.
“She is an outstanding ambassador for her country and being appointed as
a Member of the Order of Australia is one of the finest honours that can be awarded
to any Australian.
“On behalf of everyone at Gymnastics Australia, and within the broader
gymnastics community I sincerely congratulate Kitty on this deserved honour.”
Click HERE
for full details of the Member (AM) of the Order of Australia.
Ms Kitty Chiller AM –
citation and full list of service
Citation: For significant service to sport,
particularly as a modern pentathlon competitor and administrator.
Service includes:
Modern Pentathlon Australia:
·
President,
National Federation, since 2009.
·
High
Performance Manager, since 2009.
·
Chair,
Selection Panel, since 2009.
·
President,
Modern Pentathlon Oceania Confederation, since 2017.
·
Executive
Member, Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne, since 2017.
Modern Pentathlon Competitor:
·
First ever
women to represent Australia in Modern Pentathlon at the Olympic Games, Sydney
2000.
·
Winner, 7
World Cup Medals.
·
Winner, 12
Australian Modern Pentathlon Championships.
·
Held World
number one ranking.
·
Inaugural
Winner, Australian Triathlon Championship, 1984.
Australian Olympic Committee:
·
Executive
Member, since 2013.
·
Chef de
Mission, Australian Olympic Team, Rio, 2016.
·
Deputy
Chef de Mission, Australian Olympic Team, London 2012.
·
International
Modern Pentathlon Selector, Beijing 2008.
·
Manager/Coach,
Australian Men's Modern Pentathlon Team, Atlanta 1996.
·
Press
Attaché, Australian Olympic Team, Seoul 1988.
Gymnastics:
·
Chief
Executive Officer, Gymnastics Australia, since 2017.
·
President, Oceania
Gymnastics Union, since 2018.
·
Executive
Member, International Gymnastics Federation, since 2018.
International
Olympic Committee:
·
Member, IOC Athlete’s
Entourage Committee, since 2018.