NT joins five states in launching sports unit for athletes with disabilities

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Territorians always punch above their weight at the Paralympics and in the latest in our series for International Day of People with Disability, we showcase a new program which is trying to stop that talent leaving the NT Sports Academy's Para Futures Unit. It’s a model that's being adopted around Australia.

Transcript

00:00Arnhem Land teenager, Precise Britton is part of a new generation of para-athletes.

00:09It's so exciting. I'm so glad to represent Australia Paralympic Games in Los Angeles in

00:202028 and 3032 in Brisbane.

00:24Britton has already made her debut on the world stage,

00:27competing at the Para Athletics World Championships this year.

00:31Good, let it go all the way down.

00:33She's an inspiration for fellow athletes

00:35and for a nation first program that's changing how para-sport works.

00:39The whole point of this system uplift is to bring people along for the ride quicker

00:44and get them through their sporting pathway quicker so that we can get to 2032

00:48and have more athlete representation.

00:51It's the kind of support Territory athletes didn't have 25 years ago

00:55when Melissa Dunn won silver at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.

00:59We used to play and train at some of the high schools before school started.

01:04We'd spend our weekends at the petrol station approaching unsuspecting people trying to fill up their petrol,

01:10begging them to buy a raffle ticket.

01:12You're pretty much on your own with your training where these days you've got so much support.

01:17That support for aspiring Paralympians includes world class coaching,

01:21classification and financial assistance to travel to competitions,

01:25helping athletes in regional and remote communities to excel while still living at home.

01:30I think the Para Futures program is going the right direction.

01:33They can pick up from grass roots, they can develop their skills,

01:37they've got the support along the way, they've got the expertise to become the best at what they do.

01:42There's opportunities to travel down south to participate at the highest levels.

01:47So, yeah, there's so many opportunities these days for young disabled athletes coming through.

01:52I'd like to see younger athletes coming through and having the same opportunities that I got to

01:57and experience those highlights that I've had in my life.

01:59The next generation of Territory Para-athletes,

02:02already exploring pathways and chasing those same dreams.

02:12I've got to be able to see younger athletes coming through.

02:14They're going to be able to see other athletes.

02:17That's one of those they've been able to see.

02:20Playing..

02:21I want to be able to see younger athletes.

02:22They're going to be able to see younger athletes.

02:24I'm just going to see a different way of the role.

02:26I'm able to see the past.

02:27I think that people need to be a little bit,

02:28I think that people need to take advantage of them.

02:31I think that they need to know.

02:33The next generation of Territory Para-athletes,

02:36is one of those they just need to be able to getting them.

02:38I'm going to see how they need to be able to look.

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