Para System Uplift

Historic Investment

In June 2024, the Australian Government announced the biggest ever Paralympic spend to address systemic and structural barriers to performance for para athletes. The $54.9 million additional para sport funding, doubling the existing support, will address better classification opportunities, access to fit-for-purpose training environments, and specialised coaching and performance support.

Read about the investment

Our vision

To create an inclusive and equitable HP sports system where Para athletes can fully realise their potential and unite, inspire, and motivate Australians for generations to come.

Key enablers

Project Para will ensure the nation’s Para athletes have access to the world’s best coaches in the lead up to Brisbane 2032 and beyond.

Create additional opportunities for people with a disability to be discovered and to provide world-class services which supports athletes on their pathway from identification through to the Paralympics.

An evolved national classification system that will remove bottlenecks and support sports through the 2025 IPC Classification Code changes.

Para Barriers Report

Understanding Barriers to Entry and Progression in the High Performance Pathways for Para Athletes

The HP 2032+ Strategy and its vision, we win well to inspire Australians, has driven work to uncover the barriers that Para athletes face when entering and progressing through High Performance (HP) pathways, and take meaningful action on feedback provided by Para athletes, coaches, role holders, and the broader Para sport community. The outcome of this project is to understand the barriers and take aligned, actionable steps in working towards addressing them to break the cycle and create the change that the system and Para athletes need.

Para Classification Report

Para Classification Knowledge and Models of Operation

Classification is the cornerstone of the Paralympic Movement as it determines who is eligible to compete in Para-sport. Classification provides meaningful competition structures by grouping athletes into classes based upon the impact of their impairment on the functional activities of the sport. However, Classification has traditionally been poorly understood and under-resourced throughout the Australian High Performance (HP) Sport System. In response to the identified need to uplift system knowledge and implement a new model of Classification, a Win Well HP 2032+ Strategy project was established to focus upon Para Classification Knowledge and Models of Operation.

SIS/SAS Para Multi Sport Units

Para Sport Units are being established at all 8 state and territory institutes and academies of sport (SIS/SAS) to allow more Para-athletes opportunities in sport through access to fit-for-purpose training environments, specialised coaching and performance support. These units will serve as a landing place for new para athletes.

To get involved in your state, click the relevant link below.