10 September, 2025 - Australian Sporting Alliance for People with a Disability

Image shows Quade Stone sitting in a wheelchair in an empty gymnasium. He is holding a basketball in one hand is making an expressive, happy face.

A special Mini Paralympics event in Alice Springs brought together young athletes to try out sports like athletics, wheelchair basketball, boccia, and badminton as part of a national push to find and develop para sport talent ahead of Brisbane 2032. Fourteen-year-old Quade Stone, who has cerebral palsy, said playing wheelchair basketball with others showed him “you’re not alone,” and dreamed of representing Australia at the Games.

The day connected regional athletes to coaching, equipment, and development pathways, as part of the federally funded Para System Uplift program to boost awareness and participation in para sports. Organisers and participants spoke of the joy and community sport can bring.

Image shows two goal ball players in action. They are both wearing Australian jerseys with black pants. They have eye masks on, and they are stopping a blue ball from going in the goal.

Jess Clark grew up in mainstream sports like gymnastics and swimming, but with low vision she often felt out of place. Discovering goalball, a Paralympic sport played exclusively by people with vision impairment, gave her a sense of belonging. Unlike most adapted disability sports, goalball was designed specifically for blind and low vision athletes and has no non-disabled equivalent, something players like Clark and teammate Zara Perry see as empowering.

The sport is fast, strategic, and played blindfolded, creating a level playing field regardless of degree of vision loss. For Perry, who has partial sight, the shift from straining to use her vision to relying on other senses was a “relief” that made the game feel more inclusive than other blind sports.

Australia’s national women’s team, the Aussie Belles, is rebuilding after missing the last Paralympics, aiming for LA 2028 but with an eye toward Brisbane 2032. The men’s team, the Aussie Storm, is also rising in the rankings after decades of struggle. With fresh talent, increased funding, and growing grassroots participation, both teams see cause for optimism about the future of goalball in Australia.