Australian track and field stars, including Paris gold medallists Nina Kennedy and James Turner, are set to visit grassroots Little Athletics Centres over the next two weeks under the Coles community banner. The aim is to inspire future Aussie athletes and share their experiences and insights.

The pair will be joined by 2024 Olympic and Paralympic heroes such as Matthew Denny, Kelsey-Lee Barber, Jaryd Clifford, Brandon Starc, Reece Langdon, Cameron McEntyre, and Sally Pearson OAM, who was recently inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. These ambassadors will visit over 60 Little Athletics Centres from Wednesday, 6 November to Tuesday, 19 November.

The ambassadors will share training tips and nutritional advice, participate in banana-themed races and games, and deliver new equipment to centres that have recently received funding from the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund.

"Coles Community Round is such a great opportunity to return to where it all started for myself and many other athletes, and I'm excited to visit grassroots centres, particularly my old Little Athletics Centre in Diamond Valley," said Jaryd Clifford.

"Paris was such a rollercoaster ride and it's always humbling to go back to community clubs and to see the pure joy and delight these kids have for track and field. It's a reminder that athletics is first and foremost about having fun and being the best athlete you can be rather than medals and accolades. Coles Community Round is a great way to demonstrate these values, and I can't wait to meet this year's crop of little athletes and to share my experiences with kids and parents alike."

Coles Little Athletics Australia CEO Myles Forman reported a record interest in Coles Community Round this year, largely due to the calibre of ambassador visits.

"Coles Community Round has been a feature of the Little Athletics calendar over the past four years and it's pleasing to see its popularity continue to grow with nearly 300 Centres running an event over the next two weeks," said Forman.

"Coles Community Round is a great way to celebrate our partnership with Coles, which has provided over $2.5 million in sports equipment grants and more than five million bananas to our centres since 2017. The round also encourages centres to put the 'fun' back into the Little Athletics motto - family, fun and fitness."

Since 2017, Coles has provided over $2.5 million in sports equipment grants and more than five million bananas to centres.