Sport
Competing in elite sport
Information about competing in elite sports, including major championships and event details; as well as guidance about sports nutrition, training and other topics, is available from government and national and state sports organisations.
- The Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) helps Australians with disability participate in sport and compete at the Paralympic Games. It also organises Talent Search days to find elite athletes and assist participants who may be looking for a suitable sport.
- Special Olympics Queensland, as part of Special Olympics Australia, provides information about elite competitions for athletes with an intellectual disability. In 2011, Australian athletes with intellectual disability competed at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens, Greece.
- Deaf Sports Australia (DSA) is the peak body for Deaf sports in Australia. It provides information about national and international competitions for athletes who are Deaf. You can contact DSA on email dsa@deafsports.org.au, call TTY (03) 9473 1154 or phone (03) 9473 1191.
- Blind Sports Australia is the national sporting organisation for athletes who are blind or have a visual disability.
- In Queensland, Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association provides information about competition pathways for athletes with a range of disabilities, including athletes who are blind or have a visual disability; as well as athletes with physical disability.
- Life Stream Foundation is the state organisation for people with an intellectual disability. AUSRAPID is the national organisation for people with an intellectual disability.
- Information for athletes with a disability, general nutrition resources, and responses to frequently asked questions about various sports-related topics is available on the Australian Sports Commission's website.
- The Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) supports elite and identified developing athletes in Queensland, including athletes with a disability, towards achieving their sporting goals. You can contact the QAS on (07) 3872 0200 (Brisbane) or (07) 4760 7521 (Townsville), or email qas@communities.qld.gov.au.
Peak organisations for different sports may also be able to provide you with information about elite disability sport. See QSport's member directory as a starting point for representative sports organisations in Queensland.
Getting classified
If you want to compete in elite disability sport, you need to get classified. Each sport has its own classification system. The next web page in this guide is about disability sport classification.
