Melbourne, 8 March 2011 | Sarah-Lucy Rice

Many people would scratch their head wondering how an Olympic gymnast can help shape the sport of tennis in Australia.

According to Brennon Dowrick, one of our nation’s most celebrated male gymnasts, he has the skills to do the job.

“There are many similarities between my sport and tennis, and I am going to share with the Australian tennis community the lessons I learnt throughout my career, which will hopefully help inspire them to reach and sustain their full potential,” Dowrick said.

“When I reached my full potential as an athlete I was supported by a dedicated team and my journey endured many highs and lows, which we worked through effectively together,” he added.

Dowrick, who represented Australia at two Olympic Games, three Commonwealth Games and seven World Championships, will be a keynote speaker at the 2011 Australian Tennis Conference, Courting the Path to Success, which will be held in Melbourne from 16 to 18 March.

In 1990 Dowrick became Australia’s first ever Commonwealth Games male gymnastics gold medallist, a feat he repeated in 1994. Dowrick also became Australia’s first male gymnastics finalist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

“My gold medal performance at the 1990 Commonwealth Games and other successes would not have been possible without my cohesive team,” Dowrick said. “Every member of my team played an equal and vital role. My forthcoming presentation at the Australian Tennis Conference will explore the significance of teamwork, as well as leadership and goal setting to achieve ongoing success.”

Tennis Australia CEO, Steve Wood, is looking forward to Dowrick’s presentation.

“Brennon is a qualified and inspirational speaker who I believe will provide great insight into the important role every member of our tennis family plays in making our sport bigger and better,” said Wood.

The second instalment of the Australian Tennis Conference will be a three-day journey to further develop Australian tennis and inspire the next generation.

“This collaborative, fun and engaging event will explore the various aspects of tennis including grassroots tennis, coaching, elite player development, tournaments and facilities,” Wood added.

“Each state and territory will be represented, and we look forward to sharing and brainstorming ideas together to develop our path to success.”

Mike Walsh, the bestselling author of Futuretainment and CEO of innovation research lab Tomorrow, will join Dowrick as a keynote speaker at the conference. Walsh is a leading authority on the digital future – particularly in explaining new patterns of consumer behaviour and disruptive technologies in emerging markets.