‘This is our thing’: The blind athletes finding pride in a sport all their own
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.
