Mini Paralympics unlocks local talent and pathways in Alice Springs

With shiny medals, cheering crowds and smiles all round, the Alice Springs Mini Paralympics event brought new energy and opportunity to the local community as more than 35 people with disability embraced the chance to try Paralympic sport.

From the freedom of running frames to the thrill of Boccia rallies, every moment was about inclusion, confidence and fun as participants discovered sports such as athletics, badminton, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball.   

Fourteen-year-old Quade Stone tried them all. The young basketball fan, who has cerebral palsy, naturally found his favourites to be wheelchair basketball and the running race.  

“It’s pretty hard playing basketball in a chair because I’m not used to it,” he said. “But I liked it and I think I could get good at it.” 

His dad, Daniel Stone, added: “A lot of people have seen his ability, but nothing has progressed. When I heard about this event, I thought maybe this could be that pathway.”  

The Mini Paralympics was hosted by Northern Territory Sports Academy, Paralympics Australia, local community partners, with funding support from the Australian Sports Commission.  

It stems from the national Para Uplift, an initiative funded by the Australian Government to address barriers to Para-sport ahead of the Brisbane 2032 Games.  

But the impact goes further than that. Jodie Zanini, Manager of Para Pathways for the Northern Territory Para Unit, says pilot programs such as this are driving long-term change.  

“With the Para Uplift there’s a big push around Brisbane 2032, but I feel like this is something that will shape the future of Para-sport for a lot longer than that,” she said.  

That momentum is already spreading. In the same week, AFL NT’s Footy4Life program introduced Para sport into their training, while Paralympics Australia ran an education session for coaches, teachers and support staff on pathways and classification to help connect participants to opportunities that could one day lead to the Paralympics. 

Learn more about the Para Uplift.