Kyle Vander-Kuyp

Kyle Vander-Kuyp remains Australia’s greatest ever 110m hurdler. An Indigenous athlete of the Woromi and Yuin tribe of North and South Coast New South Wales, Kyle set the  Australian 110m Hurdles record of 13.29 seconds at the 1995 World Championships in Göteborg, Sweden, a mark that still stands today. In addition, he has won 12 national open titles between 1992 and 2006, represented Australia at three Commonwealth Games (1994, 1998, 2006), four World Championships, and two Olympic Games, where he made the final of the Atlanta Games.

Since retirement from elite athletics, Kyle has devoted himself to empowering Indigenous and broader Australian communities. He has served as an Ambassador for Centrelink's Indigenous Ambassador Program, engaging directly with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to raise awareness of government services, encourage education and employment pathways, and provide valuable feedback to the Minister of Human Services. Kyle’s ambassadorial and mentorship roles extend to organisations such as Red Dust Role Models, where he promotes healthy lifestyles and physical activity among youth, and the Indigenous Talent and Identification Program (ITIP), a joint initiative by Athletics Australia (AA), the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), supporting Indigenous athletes to develop their skills, attend elite training camps, and gain exposure to professional coaching and sports science.

Kyle has also contributed his expertise to Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, the Rio Tinto Foundation, Visy Care Centre Youth Welfare, and served as a Patron of Mibbinbal Ltd, the Jobs Australia Foundation, and the Indigenous Youth Leadership Program - Kokoda Trail, Papua New Guinea. In 2008 he joined the Australian Sports Commission Board, contributing to the Anti-Doping Committee, Sponsorship Committee, and Active After-School Communities Committee, and later served on the Victorian Olympic Committee as a board member and role model in 2009.

In recognition of his achievements both on and off the track, Kyle has received numerous awards, including the Dr. Charles Perkins Award (2003), the Deadly's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sports (2004), the Athlete's Athlete at the Telstra Athlete of the Year Awards (2005), and the Australian Institute of Sport Athlete Community Engagement Award (2022).

Kyle Vander-Kuyp’s legacy extends far beyond sport. He is a role model, mentor, and advocate who continues to inspire through his athletic excellence, community engagement, and dedication to creating opportunities for Indigenous Australians.