Yesterday cycling great Lance Armstrong accompanied by Australian riders Robbie McEwen and Alan David raised more than $125,000 for the Queensland flood victims.
The three men flew into Brisbane early yesterday morning and were joined by 2,500 cyclists as they rode through city streets that only a week or so ago were underwater.
"I've got to tell you the cool thing ... that happened here with this disaster was the way that the Australian people rallied around Queensland," Armstrong said to crowd after hailing the Queensland volunteers as the heroes of this disaster.
Swimming Australia stars have joined the cycling community in pledging their support. More than 40 members of the Australian Swim team past and present will unite to host swimming events in Queensland, Victoria, the ACT and Western Australia as well as pledging a percentage of their winnings at the upcoming Summer Swim Series to aid the flood relief.
Led Brenton Rickard from the Gold Coast, Queenslander Alicia Coutts and Cameron Prosser who live in Canberra, Marieke Guehrer in Melbourne, Emily Seebohm in Brisbane and Blair Evans in Perth, our swimmers will band together across the nation to host a number of fundraising clinics in their home states.
"I can't imagine what the people located in the flood ravaged areas of Queensland are going through at the moment," said five-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist Coutts.
"If by donating prize money and our time, we can provide some assistance and encourage others to provide support; I hope we can in some small part assist in what will be a huge and lengthy clean up."
Roger Federer was also quick to respond to the flood crisis, using Facebook to let fans know that he had called a meeting with Tennis Australia to organise an event to raise money 24 hours after the devastating floods swept through Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley.
From that meeting formed the event "Rally for Relief that was held a little over a week ago raising over 1.5 million dollars.
Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Lleyton Hewitt, Sam Stosur, Kim Clijsters and Pat Rafter led an all star list of tennis greats that put aside their Australian Open preparations for the Rally.
"Along with many of the other players I was moved by the devastation caused by the floods in Australia," Federer said today. "We just wanted to do something to help aid the recovery because we know there are thousands of Australians who will continue to suffer as a result of this disaster."
"This is a terrible tragedy, not only the loss of life but the destruction of people's homes," Nadal said. "I am pleased to be able to contribute in some way to help bring it to the attention of the world and raise some money for the victims in the process."
Queenslander Sam Stosur whose family was displaced in the 1980's floods said she was blown away by the support of the international tennis community.
"A lot of us just want to make some sort of contribution. It breaks my heart to see what is happening to thousands of people in these floods. I am rapt that the biggest names in our sport are so keen to focus on this despite the fact that the Australian Open starts the next day."
Stosur also committed to donating $100 for every ace she serves this summer and although she bowed out in the 3rd round to Petra Kvitova her ace contribution stands at $400 to date.
It is a wonderful testament to Australian sport and sporting culture to see the principles of hard work, teamwork, sportsmanship and the Aussie fighting spirit come into play so obviously and powerfully off the sporting field.
This movement by the sporting community makes me proud to be a lover of sports like so many of my fellow Australians. How can we not be bursting with pride to wear the green and gold after such a display as this?