Mr Ricky Grace AM

Olympian and champion basketball player Ricky Grace was born in Dallas, Texas. A basketball scholarship at Oklahoma University kick-started Ricky’s basketball career and he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (majoring in Political Science) Degree.

Ricky arrived in Australia in 1990 and was recruited to the Perth Wildcats. His Australian career included four NBL championships, two grand final Most Valuable Player awards and four All-NBL First Team Selections. After receiving Australian citizenship in 1993, Ricky represented Australia as a member of the 2000 Sydney Olympic basketball team that placed fourth.

Ricky graduated with a Masters in Educational Leadership in 1998 and in 2004 he founded Role Models and Leaders Australia. Ricky focused his energies on creating a program that would develop leadership and education engagement for at-risk Indigenous youth in Australia.

Today, the Girls Academy program (the flagship program of Role Models and Leaders Australia) has reached many thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls throughout Australia.

Ricky is dedicated to the continued success of Role Models and Leaders Australia in bringing about positive change and equipping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls with the tools they need to engage in their education, achieve their goals and change their communities.

In 2019, Ricky was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to WA's Indigenous community through his academy.