Olly, Syd and Millie were named by Philip Sheldon from advertising agency DMBB and represented air, soil and water.

Syd (from Sydney) the platypus represents the environment as well as the activity and energy of Australia and their population.

[1][2] The mascot for the 2000 Paralympics was Lizzie the frill-necked lizard, a native Australian animal which inhabits northern parts of the country.

The lizard was chosen because of the animal's survival instincts and tenacity,[4] and was intended to represent the character traits of Paralympic athletes.

The Australian Paralympic Committees noted the significant branding capital and realised that this could be leveraged in the future.