Former Australian Olympic gold medalist Mark Tonelli has been honored as Bega Valley’s official Australia Day Ambassador.
Australia Day, celebrated on January 26th, memorializes the first fleet of British ships to arrive at Australia’s Port Jackson. Part of the modern-day celebration ceremonies is the concept of ‘Australia Day Ambassadors,’ which gets high-achieving Australians and national heroes involved in local celebrations.
Tonelli competed for Australia internationally for the better part of a decade, starting when he was 15 years old.
Typically a backstroker, Tonelli is best known for turning himself into a makeshift butterflyer and helping the Australian 4×100 medley relay win Olympic gold in 1980.
Tonelli is now a sports commentator for Australian television, and has also hosted TV programs on real estate and home improvements, according to the Bega District News.