There has been so much to celebrate at these Olympics—our most successful Olympics in history. So many young Australian Olympic athletes have reached the unreachable in the past fortnight. Look at Arisa Trew, who at just 14 rode her way to history in the skateboard park final in Paris. Arisa's gold medal makes her the youngest ever medallist by 94 days, taking the mantle from Aussie swimmer Sandra Morgan for her outstanding performance in the 4x100-metre freestyle relay way back in 1956. Arisa is also the youngest medallist so far to compete in any event in Paris.

In my own electorate of Corangamite there were four athletes who took it to the world stage. They include high jumper Joel Baden, from Clifton Springs, who worked hard to make this year's team. He debuted at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and, after missing selection for Tokyo, immediately went to work. His training paid off, and he went on to clear the 2.33 metre mark, moving him to No. 3 all-time in Australian history and booking his ticket to Paris. Before heading to Paris, Joel said his journey had been a mixed bag, filled with moments of extreme frustration and disappointment and of incredible highs and elation felt when you tap into your potential and hit a personal best.

But some of the sweetest moments at these Olympic Games were not about outright victory. Torquay's Kyra Cooney-Cross, the Matildas' star midfielder, showed her mettle in an 11-goal thriller in Nice. Rower Ria Thompson, from Point Lonsdale, competed strongly in the women's quad sculls. Trap shooter and local superstar Catherine Skinner showed the world her precision under pressure. Moments like these foster a new generation of hope—a generation that understands it is not just about winning; it's the taking part that counts. The essential thing in sport and life is the lessons learnt of resilience, determination, integrity and self-discipline—not just for yourself but for your team.

I'm proud to be part of the Albanese government, who continue to do our part to inspire new sporting champions by investing in facilities to support athletes of all abilities. Our sportspeople have given us many moments of national inspiration, and we must seize that opportunity for the next generation by investing in community sporting facilities, particularly in fast-growing regions like mine in the electorate of Corangamite in Victoria. My community and I have worked hard to achieve outstanding investment in sporting facilities. In Armstrong Creek, the budget reaffirmed this commitment with $6 million for the Armstrong Creek indoor sports stadium to cater for basketball, netball and volleyball. On the Bellarine we have fought hard to secure the North Bellarine Aquatic Centre, which will soon feature an indoor pool. In Torquay we will soon see the Surf Coast Aquatic and Health Centre providing amazing facilities for local sportspeople. The Albanese government wants young people everywhere in Australia to have the facilities they need and the support they need to choose the sport they love, whether it be at community level or at elite level.

As our athletes strive for their dreams, I hope they continue to bring many more moments of national pride. Who will forget Molly O'Callaghan in the 200-metre freestyle, storming home to take gold over her training teammate Ariarne Titmus? It was one of the most anticipated all-Aussie showdowns of the Paris Olympics and it lived up to the hype. The 20-year-old produced a brilliant final lap to power ahead of world-record-holder Titmus and complete a classic one-two finish—Australia's first at the Olympic Games since Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett back in 2004. And we watched on as Molly invited Ariarne to share the podium. What mateship, what commitment and what good will.

I give a big thanks to the people of France for hosting these games. We look forward to watching the Paralympics over coming weeks—an incredible inspiration once again. And, from the bigger Australian family, may all Olympians feel our love, our support and our gratitude for all that they do.