Uwezo shares the stage with Greg Norman at B32 Roadshow
Townsville sprint star Uwezo Lubenda shared the stage with North Queensland sporting great Greg Norman at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games Community Roadshow in Townsville this week.
The pairing brought two generations of North Queensland sport together: a world champion who put the region on the global stage, and a 17-year-old chasing his own home-soil Olympic dream, to discuss the opportunities the upcoming Games had for Regional Queensland and for athletes.
Wearing a QAS branded polo to also tie into the announcement that the Queensland Academy of Sport will trail a regional hub for a year at Lubenda’s training ground, Uwezo tried to remain humble when asked what it would mean to compete on home soil.
“I mean in 2032 i’ll be 23, hopefully in my prime for you to watch… competing on home soil would be unreal”.
2026 has been a breakout year. Backed by a $10,000 scholarship through Team Townsville, a partnership between NQSF, Townsville City Council and Natalie Cook OAM OLY’s Aussie Athlete Fund, he travelled to the United States for the World Athletics U20 Championships. There he ran a personal best of 10.33 to reach the 100m semi-finals and helped Australia’s mixed 4x100m relay set a world U20 record in its heats.
Asked by the audience if he thought he could compete for a medal in Brisbane (like fellow Queensland hopeful Gout Gout), the teenager was remarkably unfazed.
“Gotta stay humble. Lots of work to do yet”.