A former local woman has been selected to manage the Equestrian Venue at next year’s Pan American Games.
After growing up on a farm near Bellata, Prue Simson, the daughter of James (Scrum) and Janet Simson, has carved out a career for herself managing venues at some of the world’s biggest sporting events, including the 2012 London Olympics.
She studied event management and marketing at University, and then landed a job with a sport event management company in Brisbane.
This ultimately led to her involvement in the 2012 London Olympic Games.
“I’d been working in Brisbane for nearly two years, and I had this idea to try and work at the Olympic Games, so I applied for a heap of positions, went over and got a job,” she explains.
“Since I got a foot in the door, opportunities have opened up. It’s about networking and who you know, and then you just have to prove yourself.”
Prue has since been selected to work on the 2015 Pan American Games, to be held in Toronto, Canada.
She cycles to work in sub zero temperatures which reach about -10 degrees celsius during the day and -40 degrees celsius at night.
Prue is looking forward to the challenge of managing a venue at one of the world’s largest sporting events.
“I make sure everything is working, there’s different people dealing with catering, cleaning, waste, technology, sport, logistics, media, and I’m the one who’s making sure all those people are doing their jobs and that the venue actually works, I have to know everything,” she said.
“In London my role wasn’t as big as the one I have here, I was making sure everything behind the scenes was ready, everything for the athletes, the press and the media.
“Where as here I’m the venue manager and I’ve been charged with the equestrian venues, so I went up the ladder a bit, it’s a big role and I’m learning all about horses.
“We have two venues because there are three disciplines within the equestrian, one of them holds the dressage and the show jumping and the other holds the cross country component of the eventing.”
At University Prue never imagined she would end up in her current line of work. She hopes to continue working on major sporting events, but said the future is somewhat uncertain.
“These jobs are all contractual, it gets a little stressful because you don’t know when or where your next job will be, you’re not hired with the same company every time,” she said.
Prue believes her bush upbringing has given her a definite advantage in her chosen career.
“Sporting event planning is very hands on and it requires logical thinking, and obviously I learnt that growing up,” she explains.
“Particularly with the management of the equestrian venue it has helped because we’re talking about crops and lucerne hay, if I didn’t grow up on a farm I wouldn’t know half of the things they’re talking about.
“I’m having to deal with two local farmers all the time, it’s helped me build a better relationship with them, because I know what I’m talking about.
“We’re having to utilise their land and negotiations are going on because they’re not able to produce their crops for that summer, so it’s just being able to have a rapport with them and find different solutions for fences, gates and pumps.”
Prue plans to work in Rio de Janiero for the 2016 Olympics and return home to Australia for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018.