- Crisafulli Government marks six years to go until the 2032 Paralympic Games with homegrown talent.
- The Queensland Academy of Sport Para Unit has identified 64 athletes across 18 sports since launching in 2025, with 35 competing nationally and 15 competing internationally.
- The Crisafulli Government launched the QAS Para Unit in partnership with the Australian Institute of Sport and Paralympics Australia to more than double Queensland's pipeline of future Para athletes ahead of 2032.
- The Crisafulli Government is delivering an Olympic and Paralympic Games for all of Queensland after a decade of decline under Labor.
Six years out from the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games, the Crisafulli Government is backing Queensland's next generation of Para athletes, with record numbers entering the State's high-performance talent pathway.
Since launching in 2025, the Queensland Academy of Sport'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 Crisafulli Government is delivering an Olympic and Paralympic Games for all of Queensland after 1,200 days of Games chaos under Labor.
The Academy'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 Crisafulli Government has also welcomed the announcement today 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.
Minister for Sport and Racing and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tim Mander said the Crisafulli Government was focused on creating more opportunities for talented Para athletes to be identified and supported, wherever they live.
"Our ambition is to more than double Queensland's pipeline of future Paralympians by the end of 2028, giving more athletes the opportunity to realise their potential on the national and international stage," Mr Mander said.
"From the first regional YouFor2032 Para testing event in Townsville recently to QAS's largest-ever South East Queensland Para Talent Search on 16 August, we are creating more opportunities for aspiring Para athletes to be identified closer to home.
"We want Queensland to be a world leader in para sport and that starts with building a strong Para sport system that can deliver success at Los Angeles 2028, Brisbane 2032 and well beyond a home Games."
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."
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."
