Dr John Ward

Dr John Ward is a Consultant Sport and Exercise Physician. He is the Chief Medical Officer of Surfing Australia and the Dolphins NRL team. Dr Ward was a part of the 2024 Australian Paris Olympic team where he covered surfing in Teahuapo’o, Tahiti.

He has worked across many high level Olympic sporting programs including swimming, paddle, BMX, and skateboarding. He has worked at the Gold Coast Suns academy and Gold Coast Titans alongside roles with Queensland in State of Origin, Australian Kangaroos PM13 teams, Womens Super Rugby and the A League. He also was the doctor for the Burleigh Bears during their 2019 championship year.

Dr Ward is a lecturer at Bond University providing sessional lectures on sports medicine to medical students. Similarly, working with Gold Coast GP training in musculoskeletal education for GP registrars.

Additionally, Dr Ward has completed his Masters of Sports Medicine through University of Queensland as well as a GP Fellowship through the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) prior to completing his Sports Physician fellowship.

Dr Ward was awarded the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Physicians (ACSEP) College Medal in 2024 for the top examination results across Australia and New Zealand. Dr Ward has also been awarded the University of Auckland “40 Under 40” Humanitarian Award for 2025. Dr Ward has done additional ultrasound guided procedural training through the Australian Institute of Ultrasound. 

Dr Ward lives locally on the Gold Coast with his wife and children. He enjoys playing golf, spending time with his family and staying active.