Vale Bill Walker

Vicsport mourns the loss of Bill Walker, a Life Member of Vicsport and Chairperson of the Victorian Disabled Sports Advisory Committee (VDSAC).

The VDSAC, auspiced by Vicsport, was an advisory committee to Sport and Recreation Victoria that served as a pathway for people with a disability to be involved with sport. Bill became involved with VDSAC in the early 1990’s as chairperson and promoted disabled sport to educational areas through his work at Victoria University. By 1997, the VDSAC had 16 member associations.

Providing outstanding service to the Committee over several decades, Bill encouraged coaches to get involved with disabled sports, raised funds for disabled sports that struggled at a competitive level and was a mentor to athletes with a disability.

With great empathy for people experiencing disability, Bill championed the importance of ‘Sport For All’ and emphasised the need for sporting opportunities to be made available across the education and sporting sector.

He guided the VDSAC through fiscal challenges and supported concepts such as the Athlete Development Fund which provided financial assistance to support developing young athletes with disabilities, further cementing VDSAC’s standing as an organisation dedicated to inclusion and providing opportunities from grassroots to Paralympic level.

Bill’s dedication to disabled sports set an example from which Vicsport, Sport and Recreation Victoria, Disability Sports Victoria and other disability support organisations strive to emulate to this day.

Vicsport has received many messages about Bill after his passing from Rosa Miot OAM, Julie Sarll, Brian McNicholl OAM, Robyn Bousie, David Parkin and Neil Roberts. Bill kept in contact with Vicsport staff until very recently and he will be sadly missed.