By: Mike Crooks
For those settling onto the couch for more sports action as the Paralympics rolls out in Paris: here’s our guide to 10 members of the Aussie Paralympic team to watch:
Vanessa Low
Originally from Germany, Vanessa brought home the gold medal for Australia in the Long Jump T61 at the Tokyo Games. The 34-year-old’s physical impairment is left above-knee and right through-knee limb loss. She and her partner and coach, the former Paralympian Scott Reardon, welcomed baby Matteo in 2022, and the next year Vanessa claimed bronze at the 2023 World Championships. In Paris, Vanessa, who lives in the ACT, will be going for her third Paralympic gold.
Daniel Michel
Dan, who has spinal muscular atrophy type 2, is a BC3 singles Boccia player and also plays in a pairs team. Together with his ramp assistant Ashlee McClure, Dan, 29, won bronze at Rio 2016. Since then, Dan, who lives in Sydney’s Cronulla, won gold in both singles and pairs events at the 2022 World Championships.
Madison de Rozario
With already four Paralympics under her belt, Madison is the Australian queen of Para-athletics. At age 4, Madison developed the neurological disease transverse myelitis, which inflames the spinal cord and required her to use a wheelchair. In Paris – her fifth Games – the 30 year old will compete in the Marathon T53 and possibly the 800m T53. Madison, who was commemorated as a Barbie doll in 2020, has also been named as the Opening Ceremony flag bearer alongside swimmer Brenden Hall.
Benjamin Hance
Swimmer Ben, who has intellectual impairment, won gold, silver and bronze at Tokyo 2020. Ben is a 100m Backstroke S14 swimmer and also competes in relays. Ben, who hails from the Sunshine Coast, currently holds the world record for the men’s 100m backstroke S14. In the lead up to Paris, Ben, 24, won two gold medals, a silver and a bronze at the 2023 World Championships in Manchester.
Stella Barton
Para-equestrian Stella – who is distantly related to Australia’s first Prime Minister, Edmond Barton – is chasing gold in the Grade 1 Para Dressage event. The 25 year old, who has cerebral palsy, began horse riding when she was seven years old at a horse riding school for the physically impaired. Together with her horse, Bug, this will the Melburnian’s first Games.
Jaryd Clifford
Jaryd, who has Best disease (a retinal disease that causes vision impairment), is a 5000m and 1500m T13 competitor. The 25 year old from Melbourne won silver and bronze in Tokyo, and is hunting gold in Paris. His most recent achievement was a 5000m silver at last year’s World Championships during which he had a stress fracture in his left femur. Jaryd runs alongside a guide – his best mate and training partner Tim Logan.
Telaya Blacksmith
This talented teen will make her Paralympic debut in Paris. Telaya, who has an intellectual impairment, is a 400m T20 runner, and will also compete in the Long Jump. The Indigenous 16 year old is the world number one U18 400m T20 runner, and holds the U20 T20 Australian records in the 100m, 200m, 400m—and Long Jump. Telaya, who hails from the NT but lives in Sydney, also plays Aussie rules footy with the Sydney Swans AFL Academy. Telaya, whose idol growing up was Cathy Freeman, describes herself as “a fast, friendly girl from the NT ready to show the world what I’ve got.”
Chris Bond
Chris is the captain of the Australia’s wheelchair rugby team, the Steelers. This will be the fourth Games for Chris, 38, who has double below-knee, left hand and right fingers loss (due to a bacterial infection in the course of battling leukaemia in his youth). In his first Games in London 2012, Bond, who lives on the Sunshine Coast, helped lead the Steelers to their first Paralympic gold. He will be looking to repeat that glory in Paris.
Article supplied with thanks to Hope Media.
Feature image: canva