Following John Bertrand AO’s retirement as Chair after 21 years of dedicated service, we’re excited for you to get to know Steve Hooker OAM, who has been appointed as the Sport Australia Hall of Fame’s new Chair.

Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017, Steve is one of Australia’s greatest track and field athletes. He has served on the SAHOF Board since 2023, and brings a rare blend of world-class sporting achievement, board experience and a genuine passion for celebrating Australian sport to the role.

Athletics Career

Steve is an Olympic gold medallist and World Champion in the pole vault, and the first Australian man to hold both the Olympic and World titles at the same time.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Steve became the first Australian field athlete to win Olympic gold in 60 years and the first Australian athletics gold medallist since Cathy Freeman in 2000. In dramatic fashion, he twice cleared clutch third-attempt jumps to take the title at 5.90m, then broke the Olympic record with an awe-inspirig 5.96m.

He backed up that triumph in 2009 with gold at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, an achievement made even more remarkable as he was carrying a torn thigh muscle from just 12 days before the final. Later that year he set his career-best jump of 6.06m in Boston.

2010 was Steve’s standout season, as he became the only athlete in the world to simultaneously hold the Olympic, World Championship, World Indoor Championship, Commonwealth Games and IAAF Continental Cup titles. He went on to compete at his third Olympic Games in 2012, and remains one of the highest-ranked pole vaulters in history.

Steve’s achievements have twice been recognised with The Don Award, first in 2008 following his Beijing gold, and again in 2009 after his win in Berlin, making him the first athlete ever to win the award twice.

He was awarded the OAM in 2009 for his service to sport, captained the Australian Olympic Athletics team from 2008 to 2012, and retired from international competition in 2014.

Corporate & Professional Career

Steve is a revered figure within the broader sporting community. Since retiring from competition, Steve has channelled that same drive into a career in property development, as Founder and Director of iHi Projects, delivering social impact housing that makes a genuine difference in communities. He also served five years on the Australian Olympic Committee Board, elected to the AOC Athletes’ Commission in 2012 and later serving as its Chairman.

Steve is also a highly regarded media commentator, having worked as a track and field specialist across multiple networks, including the 2024 Paris Olympics, and is a sought-after speaker known for a confident, humorous delivery drawn from a career in which he was, for a period, virtually unbeatable, holding every major title in his event at once.

He began giving back soon after retirement, mentoring young athletes through SAHOF’s Scholarship & Mentoring Program, before joining the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Board in 2023, where his enthusiasm, energy and can-do attitude have already added enormous value to SAHOF.

Together, this depth of leadership, governance and business experience, combined with his three years as SAHOF Director and existing familiarity with SAHOF, makes Steve exceptionally well placed to lead the Hall of Fame into its next chapter.

“It’s a great honour to take on the role of Chair of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. It has been a privilege to serve on the Board for the past three years and to see firsthand the important role the Hall of Fame plays in celebrating Australia’s greatest sporting achievements, stories and people. It’s no small thing taking the helm after 21 years of leadership by John Bertrand. He’s been a powerhouse for the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and has set a benchmark that myself and the board will strive to emulate.

I’m excited to work with our Members, Board, team and partners to build on the organisation’s proud history and help shape its next chapter.” — Steve Hooker OAM

Life Outside Sport

Away from work, Steve is married with three young boys who keep him busy and active. In his spare time, you might still catch him back at the track, occasionally lacing up a pair of spikes.

We’re thrilled to have Steve leading SAHOF into its next chapter, and look forward to sharing more with you soon.