Paralympics
Tuesday, July 9, 2024
On the eve of the Paris 2024 Paralympics, Sport Access Foundation is very proud to announce that a record 5 of our Honour Roll Members have been selected for the Australian Paralympic Team for Paris.
Sport Access Foundation provides grants for young Australians with disability to achieve their sporting goals. Whatever their goals, our aspirations have been to ensure there are no barriers to their sporting aspirations. Many of our 90 plus recipients have been able to use their grants to enable and facilitate more seamless access by supporting the cost with modified equipment, additional travel and carer costs.
For others, including these five athletes, from the moment they applied for the Pathway to Paralympic grant it was very clear of their ambitions to represent Australia. Two will make their debut for the Australian Paralympic Team, Grace Brimelow and Jack Howell in the sport of para-triathlon.
A big congratulations to Col, Keira, Jamieson, Grace and Jack, and to your own community of family, coaches, education providers, friends and others who have helped you along the way.
2017 Honour Roll Member
Col Pearse - Swimming
Age 20. Classification S10.
Echuca, VIC
Studying: Bachelor of Social Media in Melbourne
Coach: Matt King, Melbourne
Interesting fact: Sport Access Foundation inaugural Grant recipient + Swam in his parent's country dam during COVID lockdowns.
Results:
2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London. Won Bronze in 100m Butterfly
2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Won Bronze in 100m Butterfly.
2022 World Para Swimming Championships in Madeira. Won Silver medals in both 100m Butterfly and 200m Individual Medley.
2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Won Gold medal in 100m Butterfly.
2023 World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester. Won Bronze medal in 100m Butterfly and Silver in 200m Individual Medley.
2024 Paris Paralympics
2019 Honour Roll Member
Jamieson Leeson - Boccia
Age 21. Teams and BC3
Dunedoo, NSW
Studying: Bachelor of Economics, UNSW
Coach: Ken Halliday, NSWIS, Sydney.
Interesting fact: 16 years of age, she was the youngest person ever to represent Australia.
Results:
2020 Tokyo Paralympics. Teams event.
2022 World Boccia Championships, Rio de Janiero. Gold medal in the Teams Event. Qualified for Final Women's Single BC3
2024 Paris Paralympics
2020 Honour Roll Member
Keira Stephens - Swimming
Age 21. Classification SB9/10
Hervey Bay, QLD
Studying: Bachelor of Social Work, University Southern Queensland
Coach: Glen Baker, Gold Coast
Interesting fact: Born in England.
Results:
2018 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Cairns. Silver medal in 100m Breaststroke
2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London.
2020 Tokyo Paralympics.
2022 World Para Swim Championships in Madeira. Gold medal in 4 x 100m IM relay and 100m Breaststroke.
2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Bronze medal in 200m IM.
2023 World Para Swim Championships in Manchester. Bronze medal in the 100m Breaststroke.
2024 Paris Paralympics
2021 Jack Howell - Para-triathlon
Age 21. Classification PTS5
Melbourne, VIC
Studying: Bachelor of Education, MelbourneCoach: Brendan Sexton, Gold Coast
Interesting fact: Now based in QLD, won the 2024 QLD Triathlon Male Para-triathlete of the Year Award.
Results:
2022 - Oceania Triathlon Junior Cup in Devenport. Finished 20th
2022 - Oceania Para-triathlon Championships in Stockton. Finished 2nd.
2022 - National Para-triathlon Championships in Newcastle. Finished 1st.
2022 - Oceania Triathlon Junior Cup in Werribee. Finished 26th
2022 - World Triathlon Para Cup A in Coruna. Finished 3rd.
2022 - World Triathlon Para Series in Montreal. Finished 4th.
2022 - World Para-triathlon Championships in Abu Dhabi. Finished 7th
2023 - Oceania Para-triathlon Championships in Stockton. Finished 2nd.
2023 - World Para-triathlon series in Devonport. Finished 2nd.
2023 - World Para-triathlon series in Yokohama. Finished 2nd.
2023 - World Para-triathlon series in Montreal. Finished 6th.
2023 - World Para-triathlon series in Swansea. Finished 4th.
2023 - World Para-triathlon Cup in Paris. Finished 9th.
2023 - World Para-triathlon Championships in Pontevedra. Finished 6th
2024 - Oceania Para-triathlon Championships in Stockton. Finished 1st.
2024 - World Para-triathlon series in Devonport. Finished 1st.
2024 - World Para-triathlon series in Yokohama. Finished 6th.
2024- Paris Paralympics
2023 Grace Brimelow - Para-triathlon
Age 17. Classification PTS4
Sunshine Coast, QLD
School: Sunshine Coach Grammar
Coach: Charlie Barry, Sunshine Coast
Interesting fact: The youngest Para-triathlete to make the team and in her debut year of international competition remains undefeated, and the youngest Para-triathlete to win the QLD Triathlon Female Para-triathlete of the Year Award (in 2024).
2023 - Oceania Para-triathlon series in Busselton. Finished 1st.
2024 - Oceania Para-triathlon Championships in Stockton. Finished 1st.
2024 - World Para-triathlon series in Devonport. Finished 1st.
2024 - World Para Cup in Vigo. Finished 1st.
2024 - Paris Paralympics
Image description:
The image includes the 5 athletes selected for Paris. Starting with Grace Brimelow in a Triathlon Australia Racesuit running in a race, Jack Howell racking his triathlon bike and wearing Racesuit, Col Pearse wearing a Paralympic Australia uniform and holding a Bronze medal from Tokyo, Kiera Stephens holding a medal from Tokyo and Jamieson Leeson holding a Gold medal from the World Championships in Rio wearing an Australian uniform.
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