The Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui is proud to announce internationally renowned former tennis player, bestselling author, and resilience advocate Jelena Dokic as the keynote speaker for this week’s inaugural National Sport and Recreation Integrity Wānanga.

This two-day event sees leaders from across Aotearoa New Zealand’s sport and recreation sector meeting at the Due Drop Events Centre in Manukau to strengthen collective efforts to build safe and fair environments. Highlighting the sector’s growing commitment to lifting integrity standards, the Wānanga follows on from the creation of the Integrity Code, a key framework that sets out minimum integrity standards to help organisations protect their people and keep sport and recreation activities safe and fair for all participants across the sector

Jelena Dokic’s story of extraordinary resilience and advocacy has resonated internationally. Her lived experience confronting domestic abuse, rebuilding personal wellbeing, and using her voice to promote safeguarding and resilience has made her a powerful global champion for athlete welfare and safe sport cultures. Her 2024 documentary Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story has driven international conversations on safety in sport and the need for strong, system-level protections for athletes and young people.

Rebecca Rolls, Chief Executive of the Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui, says Jelena’s contribution will be a significant part of the Wānanga.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jelena as our keynote speaker. I heard her speak at an event last year and was blown away by her courage in sharing her journey. Her advocacy for safer environments aligns strongly with our collective mahi to make sport and recreation safer and fairer for everyone in Aotearoa.”

Ken Pereira, Head of Business Events at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, who partnered with the Commission to support the Wānanga, says:

“Tāmaki Makaurau has a strong and diverse sport and recreation community, and we are pleased to support the hosting of this important national conversation. Events like this strengthen the sector and reinforce Auckland’s role as a place where meaningful dialogue and leadership can come together.”

Dokic will be joined by other speakers whose perspectives will help shape and inform Wānanga conversations.

Former international cricketer Lou Vincent will offer an insider’s view into competition manipulation, examining the risks, pressures and safeguards needed to preserve the fairness of competition.

Australian marathon runner Cassie Fien will share her experience of inadvertent doping due to contaminated supplements, highlighting the critical role of education and the personal and professional impact the case had on her career.

Led by Jelena’s keynote, these sessions offer powerful anchors for discussions about how sector organisations can strengthen their integrity practices, adopt the Integrity Code, and build safer, more resilient cultures in sport and recreation environments across the motu.

The Commission will share key content from the Wānanga via its website and social media channels during and after the event.

Visit the Wānanga webpage