00:00 Botcha is a sport you may not have heard of, but for Jessie Hooper it is her world.
00:07 I found botcha and my mental health improved significantly. I found friends, I found sports
00:14 to do, I found just something that I really loved to do and enjoy.
00:20 At the Botcha Nationals this year, the 23-year-old came second in the singles competition and
00:25 third in the teams, but it hasn't been an easy journey for the disability support pensioner.
00:31 It does take quite a bit of money out of my own personal funds that I might not spend
00:37 on food or medical procedures.
00:39 For many severely disabled people like Jessie, who lives with a neurological condition, botcha
00:45 is the only sport they can participate in. But it's expensive. Equipment like wheelchairs,
00:51 balls and ramps can cost thousands of dollars.
00:55 Ramping is always a big challenge. There isn't that broader community recognition of the
01:00 sport.
01:00 The aim of the sport is to throw leather balls as close to a whitejack as possible.
01:05 Competitors are classified into four categories. Some participants have a ramp operator to
01:11 support them.
01:12 Botcha is one of the most inclusive sports. It's available to a whole range of people
01:17 with a whole range of disabilities.
01:19 Botcha is the fastest growing Paralympic sport and Australia's Jemison Leeson and Dan Michelle
01:25 are currently ranked first in the world in pairs.
01:28 We want to have medal potential athletes playing in Brisbane in every one of our classifications.
01:35 I'd really love to see more females be able to play and have that sense of community that
01:41 I get to have with all my friends here.
01:44 High hopes for a unique sport.
01:46 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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