Darwin is set to host the inaugural ‘Mini Paralympics’, a ground-breaking initiative promoting inclusivity in sports for individuals with disabilities.

Scheduled for October 15 at the Darwin Netball Stadium, the event will offer students and community members the chance to compete in various paralympic sports, including wheelchair basketball, boccia, seated volleyball, badminton, and athletics, providing a valuable opportunity to experience athleticism in an encouraging environment.

The event comes after a successful Mini Paralympics held in Alice Springs. During this event, students could participate in various sports, including athletics, wheelchair basketball, boccia, and badminton.

The participants benefited from access to experienced coaches and equipment, and some of these students are now aiming for careers in Paralympic sports.

Fourteen-year-old Quade Stone, who started playing wheelchair basketball at the Alice Springs Mini Paralympics, is now part of the NTSA Para Futures program and aims to compete in the Brisbane 2032 Paralympics.

Meanwhile, Briseis Brittan, a para-athlete from Ramingining with cerebral palsy, is also supported by the NTSA Para Futures program. She has represented the Territory in sprinting and long jump. She will debut internationally for Australia in the 200m and 400m at the World Para Games while pursuing her goal of competing in the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympics.

It’s these types of programs that provide a “system uplift” for people with disabilities, said Jodie Zanini, Manager of Para Pathways for the NTSA Para Unit.

“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.

“Through the work we’re doing now, I’d love to see 20 athletes from the NT go to 2032 or 2028, whatever it looks like. But I’d like it to continue for way longer than that. I think that’s why it’s a ‘system uplift’. The whole system is changing.

“With the NT, especially, this is not just about sport.

“It’s about a complete culture change, a shift to say that anything’s possible and sport is a carriage for that. It gives people some sort of hope, some sort of ambition to try to do something different and be better for themselves.”

The NT government and the Australian Government are supporting the future of paralympians through the NTSA Para Pathways Program, which has received an $879,000 investment from the Australian Sports Commission’s Supercharge Multi-sport Pathways Initiative.

The Mini Paralympics is organised by the NT Sports Academy (NTSA) in collaboration with the School of Sport Education NT, Paralympics Australia, and the ASC, as well as community organisations.

For more information, email NTSA.PathwaysServices@nt.gov.au or register online at: Darwin Mini Paralympic Registration