RACQ partnership drives the next generation of sports
If there’s one thing that unites Queenslanders, it’s our love of sport.
Nothing matches the sense of pride we feel whenever our athletes achieve success on the world stage.
After helping Queenslanders for 120 years, RACQ is proud to continue the evolution of that legacy by supporting the next generation of Queensland athletes.
In April, RACQ and the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) launched a partnership to deliver the YouFor2032 Talent Search and athlete testing app.
Providing inclusive and accessible pathways for potential elite athletes, the YouFor2032 app uses cutting-edge technology to assess athletes.
Queenslanders with sporting dreams aged between 13 and 23, or between 13 and 30 for para-sports, are invited to test their skills via the YouFor2032 app. If they measure up, athletes will be matched to their best-suited high-performance sport and connected with elite coaches, expert insights and the support they need to pursue greatness.
Minister for Sport, Racing, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tim Mander and RACQ Managing Director and Group CEO David Carter with YouFor2032 Talent Lead Dr Alex Roberts at the launch of RACQ's partnership with QAS.
Managing Director and Group CEO David Carter said RACQ was proud to partner with QAS and to deliver on the Club’s purpose to drive a positive future for all Queenslanders.
“Queensland is one of the country’s most decentralised states and the YouFor2032 Talent Search ensures all aspiring athletes, regardless of where they live, have the opportunity to showcase their sporting abilities,” Mr Carter said.
“RACQ is proud to be working with the QAS to support a program which will help enrich the lives of young Queenslanders through inclusive and accessible sporting pathways.”
Mr Carter said RACQ was also honoured to be supporting the industryleading app, which is the first of its kind to include para-sports.
“With more than 1.7 million members, our Club represents a broad cross-section of the Queensland community, and this helps promote diversity and inclusion which is important to us,” he said.
“It’s an honour to support the first talent search app to include para-sports and help remove barriers for our next generation of athletes.”
Country athlete took new path to the top
A s much as we love seeing our athletes achieve success, we are
also drawn to their stories – whether it’s the adversity they’ve been through or the unusual journey they’ve taken to reach the elite level of sport.
YouFor2032 athlete ambassador Mac Rogers is destined for success in rowing, having been identified through the QAS YouFor2032 program, but his path to get there was by no means straightforward.
Born and bred in Proserpine, Mac’s love for sport started with gymnastics.
“Growing up in a small town in North Queensland, the sports you can do are few and far between,” Mac said.
“I started doing gymnastics as a kid and my parents were driving me 90 minutes to and from training.”
Why Mac switched from gymnastics to rowing
Despite admitting he was not very good at gymnastics, Mac still holds the Guinness World Record for the most ring muscle-ups in 24 hours.
“As I grew to be over six foot (183cm), I realised gymnastics wasn’t for me and I thought the chapter of my life where I could pursue sport at an elite level had passed,” he said.
In 2022, Mac attended a QAS YouFor2032 talent identification session in Mackay, where his endurance, speed and strength were tested.
Mac was told his ‘wingspan’ and height would be best suited to either rowing or pole-vault and despite his initial efforts in pole-vault, he opted for rowing.
“I came to Brisbane and did a week’s worth of pole-vault training, which I enjoyed but it didn’t feel like the right fit,” he said.
“After that, I had a bit of a break before trying rowing and I fell in love with it.
“A lot of people in Proserpine have never rowed in their life and probably never will, so I am grateful to the QAS for giving me the opportunity to pursue my dream of being an elite athlete.”
A young athlete is tested by a QAS assessor at the launch of the YouFor32 partnership.
High praise for talent-search app
With 12 months of rowing competition under his belt and competing at the 2025 national rowing titles, Mac has nothing but praise for the QAS YouFor2032 program and new discovery app.
“QAS do a fantastic job sourcing regional talent but there is only so many towns they can physically get to,” he said.
“The new YouFor2032 app will break down a massive barrier for small communities where there may be untapped sporting talent.
“I would really encourage Queensland kids, no matter where you were born or what sport you did growing up, to give the app a go and see what happens.
“The last few years of my life took a completely different course to what I thought was possible, and it was all thanks to QAS believing in me.”
This story is the first in RACQ’s series, featuring QAS YouFor2032 ambassadors.
The spring and summer editions of The Road Ahead will feature profiles on Jessica Borg (boxing) and Korey Boddington (para-cycling) .
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