Please note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that the following content contains names, images and voices of people who have died.
Paralympics Australia acknowledges and pays respect to Elders past and present of the lands and waters on which we live, work, and engage in sports together. We are committed to caring for those lands and people across the nation. We acknowledge the diversity, unique histories, cultures, knowledge and current experiences of individuals and communities across Australia. We celebrate their contributions to the nation broadly, and specifically to community and sport.
2024 is a big year for sports fans as the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held for the first time in years! As you’re gearing up for these exciting events, have you considered which Paralympians you will introduce to your students? How about Paralympians from Australia?
The Teach Starter Teacher Team has compiled some comprehensive information that’s ready to be shared with your class! Keep reading for potential FAQs your students may ask, famous Australian Paralympians and resources you can download and use to tie everything together.
What Are the Sports in the Paralympics?
Like the Olympics, the Paralympics includes both Summer and Winter Games. The Summer Paralympic Games includes:
- Para-Archery
- Para-Athletics
- Para-Badminton
- Blind Football
- Boccia
- Para-Canoe
- Para-Cycling
- Para-Equestrian
- Goalball
- Para-Judo
- Para-Powerlifting
- Para-Rowing
- Para-Shooting
- Sitting Volleyball
- Para-Swimming
- Para-Table Tennis
- Para-Taekwondo
- Para-Triathlon
- Wheelchair Basketball
- Wheelchair Fencing
- Wheelchair Rugby
- Wheelchair Tennis
The Winter Paralympic Games includes:
- Para-Alpine Skiing
- Para-Biathlon
- Para-Cross-Country Skiing
- Para-Ice Hockey
- Para-Snowboard
- Wheelchair Curling
The next Paralympic Winter Games will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, from March 6-15, 2026.
Understanding Classifications in the Paralympics
Fair competition is essential in all sports. A classification system is used to ensure this fairness in the sports athletes compete in as part of the Paralympics. This classification system helps level the playing field by determining who can compete in a sport and by grouping athletes based on how their impairment affects their ability to perform key activities in that sport. Each Para-sport has its own classification rules tailored to address how different impairments impact athlete performance in that sport.
Why is Classification Important?
The classification system ensures equity in competition and helps ensure athletes are recognised and celebrated for their true athletic skills and determination. By understanding and teaching your students about the classification system, you can help them appreciate the complexity and fairness of the Paralympic Games and foster a deep respect for the athletes who compete.
Bring it to the Classroom
Encourage your students to think about how classification helps create fairness in Para-sports. You might like to have discussions or do activities where the students explore the different Para-sport classifications and the rigorous process athletes undergo to be classified and eligible to compete. This will not only enrich their knowledge about the Paralympics and the Australian Paralympic Team but also instil values of equality, respect, and appreciation for the athletes who compete in the Paralympics.
Famous Paralympians From Australia
After each Paralympic Games, Australia awards deserving athletes with the title ‘Australian Paralympian of the Year’ for those who have won a medal or performed a personal best, achieving outstanding results. Here are four athletes that you can introduce to your class who have been awarded the title of ‘Australian Paralympian of the Year’ since the 2012 Games:
Jacqueline Freney
Jacqueline Freney was the 2012 Australian Paralympian of the Year. She is one of Australia’s most accomplished Paralympians, renowned for her extraordinary achievements in Para-Swimming. At the 2008 Beijing Games, Freney competed in the S8 classification for athletes with physical impairments and won three bronze medals for the 50m Freestyle S8, 100m Freestyle S8 and 400m Freestyle S8. At the London 2012 Games, Freney competed in the S7 and SM7 classifications for swimmers with physical impairments that impact their range of motion and muscle strength and won an impressive eight gold medals. This made her the most successful athlete at the Games, and she broke Siobhan Paton’s Australian record of six gold medals at a single Games!
Freney’s parents managed public swimming pools for a living, so she began swimming and competing from the early age of six. Jacqueline’s father served as her coach throughout her swimming career. Beyond her swimming success, Freney is a motivational speaker who raises disability awareness and promotes the value of sports for people with disabilities. Freney has also been awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia and in 2014 she was named the Young Australian of the Year.
Dylan Alcott
Dylan Alcott is one of Australia’s most recognisable and celebrated Paralympians. He was awarded Australian Paralympian of the Year in 2016. Alcott has excelled in both Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Tennis.
Alcott made his Paralympics debut at the 2008 Beijing Games as a key player for the Australian Rollers Wheelchair Basketball Team, who won the gold medal. At London 2012, Alcott again competed with the Rollers and they secured the silver medal. At the Rio 2016 Games, Alcott switched to compete in Wheelchair Tennis in the quad division for athletes with impairments affecting at least three limbs. He won a gold medal in the quad singles and a gold medal in the quad doubles alongside Heath Davidson. At the 2020 Tokyo Games Alcott defended his quad singles title winning gold again and won the silver medal in the quad doubles, again with Davidson.
His outstanding achievements across two sports showcases Alcott’s exceptional athletic talent. Beyond sports, Alcott is a trailblazer for people with a disability in the media. Here are some wise words from this incredible athlete to inspire your students:
‘The biggest thing is that for every one thing you can’t do, there are 10,000 others you can.’
Madison de Rozario
Madison de Rozario is a prominent Paralympian known for her achievements in Wheelchair Racing, a sport she began at the age of 14! de Rozario made her debut at the 2008 Beijing Games as the youngest athlete on the Australian team. Over the years, she has excelled in multiple events. At the 2020 Tokyo Games she won gold medals in the 800m T53 and the marathon T54 classifications, which are for athletes with spinal cord injuries and similar impairments that affect their legs and trunk but have full arm function. De Rozario chose Wheelchair Racing after first being encouraged by Australian Paralympic Hall of Fame inductee, Frank Ponta.
Wheelchair racers like de Rozario use high-tech chairs made of titanium and carbon fibre. They do not have any gearing on the wheels, which means the athletes themselves are the ones creating all the speed and power, up to 33kph in competition! Madison was the 2020 Paralympian of the Year and has even had a Barbie made in her honour.
Ben Tudhope
Ben Tudhope is an exceptional Australian Paralympian who has made his mark in the Winter Games with his Para-Snowboarding skills. At the early age of 14, he was chosen as Australia’s youngest Winter Paralympian (and youngest competitor from any nation) to compete in the 2014 Sochi Games in para snowboarding. He completes the SB-LL2 classification for athletes with lower limb impairments.
Ben won his first Paralympic bronze medal at the Beijing Winter Games in 2022. Tudhope was chosen as the Australian flag bearer at the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Closing Games Ceremony because of his achievements and dominance in his sport. This 2022 Paralympian of the Year states:
‘I am not disabled, simply a kid with a disability.’
Encourage your students to do a deep dive into any of the athletes above or other Paralympians we haven’t included in this list using the Paralympics Australia Athletes Bios and our athlete profile teaching resource template:
Notable First Nations Paralympians
Include the achievements of notable First Nations Paralympians in your lessons during the Games this year. We’ve compiled a short list of athlete profiles to get you started in inspiring your students to learn more!
Kevin Richard Coombs
Kevin Coombs OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia) was the first Indigenous athlete to compete in the Paralympics for Australia and a highly notable Wheelchair Basketball player. He was a proud member of the Wotjobaluk people, from the Wimmera region in western Victoria. Coombs competed in five Paralympic Games between 1960 and 1984.
Although he did not win any medals during the Paralympic Games, his sporting achievements and efforts to raise the profile of athletes with an impairment made Coombs instrumental in developing Paralympic sports in Australia. His legacy includes carrying the Paralympic torch into the 2000 Sydney Games Opening Ceremony and the creation of the Uncle Kevin Coombs Medal for the Spirit of the Games in 2016, highlighting his lifelong contribution to the Paralympic movement. Coombs passed away in 2023.
Tracy Barrell
Tracy Barrell OAM (Medal of the Order of Australia), a proud Bundarra woman, is a Paralympian swimmer who made her mark at the 1992 Barcelona Games. She competed in the S3-4 classification and won two gold medals in the Women’s 4x50m Freestyle S1-6 event and the Women’s 50m Butterfly S3-4 event. Barrell was awarded the OAM for her sporting achievements, including her success at the Paralympic Games in 1993. She has been a passionate advocate for First Nations peoples and people with disabilities.
Raymond (Ray) Barrett
Ray Barrett was an Indigenous Australian Paralympic athlete who earned a bronze medal in the 1972 Heidelberg Games in Germany. Barrett’s mother’s family were from the Wiradjuri people in central New South Wales. He was a versatile athlete who competed in a variety of sports and sporting events during his athletic career including wheelchair dash, wheelchair basketball, shot put, slalom, precision javelin, discus, fencing and rifle shooting. In the 1972 Games Barrett competed in the 100m wheelchair dash coming third.
Torita Blake
Torita Blake is a two-time Australian Paralympian and a proud Indigenous woman from the Dunghutti people. She has made significant strides in Para-Athletics, competing in the T38 classification for athletes with coordination impairments.
Blake debuted at the 2012 London Games, competing in sprinting events. At the 2016 Rio Games she continued to showcase her athleticism, placing fourth in the 400m T38 event with a personal best time. Blake was initially inspired to compete in athletics after watching Cathy Freeman make history in the 400m at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. Blake’s commitment to her sport and her role as a prominent Indigenous Australian athlete has given her a platform to mentor Indigenous kids and kids with disability in sports.
We hope this gives you a jumping-off point to discuss the Paralympics in the classroom with your students! Learning about Paralympic athletes can demonstrate the power of persistence, determination and defying the odds. It may also spark some early curiosity in your students to learn more about the health sciences.
Hear about Torita’s journey and her incredible achievements in our free webinar! You can register here.
Want to learn more about Paralympics Australia and the athletes that will compete in Paris 2024? Check out Paralympics Australia‘s website, Instagram and YouTube.
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