First QAS Para Unit athletes on solid path to 2032
Queensland’s para sport pathway is powering a road to 2032, with the inaugural cohort of athletes inducted into the…
Six years out from the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games, the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) is ramping up its search for the next generation of Paralympians, with record numbers of aspiring Para athletes entering the state’s talent pathway.
Since launching in 2025, the QAS’s dedicated Para Unit has identified 64 athletes across 18 sports, with 35 already competing at national level and 15 competing internationally.
The progress follows Queensland’s most successful Commonwealth Games campaign, with 20 QAS-supported Para athletes competing and 14 bringing home medals.
The QAS’s Para Unit is designed to reduce long-standing barriers to participation and progression, strengthen talent pathways and develop world-class Para-sport coaches with the next intake to take place in September.
The first YouFor2032 Regional Para Testing Day recently held in Townsville marked a major step in Queensland’s push give aspiring athletes across the State the chance to be discovered.
The event also welcomed the announcement of the Para Futures Cup set to be held in October to give emerging Para athletes the opportunity to take the next step from talent identification towards national representation.
Queensland Academy of Sport CEO Troy Ayres said the growing Para program was already delivering results, with athletes progressing from talent identification to the international stage.
“The success of the QAS Para Unit is already clear, with athletes like Susanna Wills who recently competed on the international stage at the recent Para Canoe World Championships,” Mr Ayres said.
“Through statewide talent identification, regional opportunities and specialist coaching and performance support, we want to make sure potential is not determined by where an athlete lives or whether they have previously had access to organised sport.
“This approach helps reduce travel barriers and improves access to training environments, coaching, classification and performance support across Queensland.”
Paralympics Australia CEO Cameron Murray said the growth of the QAS Para Unit was a shining example of the impact and collaboration taking place between governments and the broader Para sport system to identify and develop Para athletes.
“For Australia to be successful in 2032 and beyond, Queensland has a critical role to play in building future Paralympians,” Mr Murrary said.
“The progress of the QAS Para Unit since its establishment last year shows what is possible when we work together to identify talent and create the right pathways for athletes to develop.
“We know there is an enormous amount of untapped Para sporting talent across Australia, and initiatives like the QAS Para Unit are helping us find athletes who may have never previously had the opportunity to discover what they can achieve in sport.
“With a Paralympic Games coming to home soil, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to inspire more people with disability to see themselves in sport and better connect that development pathway to the high-performance level.”
“From the very beginning, it has been incredible to be a member of the QAS Para Unit.
As the only member of the Aussie Belles (Australian Women’s Goalball Team) based in Queensland, the community of elite high-performing Para athletes has become an integral part of my support network. It is incredible to train alongside fellow Paralympians, along with those who aspire to become Paralympians.”
