Commonwealth Games cycling championAlison Shanks. Photo / Warren Buckland
Former New Zealand cycling champion Alison Shanks has been appointed to the inaugural Commonwealth Games Federation athletes advisory commission.
The commission has been set up to represent athlete views and grow the profile and impact of Commonwealth athletes.
Shanks, who won gold in the 3000m individual pursuit at the Delhi
Games in 2010, is one of seven former Games representatives on the commission, to be chaired by Rhona Simpson, a three-times Games representative in hockey for Scotland.
"We are thrilled and thankful that such a diverse and decorated group of inspiring sports leaders, representing each (Commonwealth) region, will help shape the future direction of this...initiative through Gold Coast 2018 and beyond," Simpson said.
Shanks' fellow commissioners are seven-time Games gold medal-winning para swimmer Natalie du Toit of South Africa (as para-sport representative); Nicole Forrester, the Canadian high jumper who won gold and bronze Games medals; Colin Gregor, Scotland's rugby sevens captain at two Games; Niluka Rushan Karunaratne of Sri Lanka, a three-time Games badminton representative; Lechezdani Luza of Botswana, who won a silver medal in boxing at the 2002 Games; and Brendan Williams of Dominica, a high jumper at the last two Games.
