Brisbane will become the hub for Paralympic sport following a partnership with the University of Queensland and Paralympics Australia.
UQ vice-chancellor Professor Deborah Terry said the university will build, innovate, research, educate and advocate for broad inclusion and diversity while also increasing the opportunities for people with disabilities to engage in regular sport and physical activity.
“We know three out of four Australians with a disability want to participate in sport, but only one in four do. This partnership will allow us to change those statistics and assist para-athletes to engage in regular sport and physical activity, including training for and participation in sporting competition,” she said.
The collaboration would also see UQ students in a variety of professional programs completing industry placements with Paralympics Australia starting this year.
Paralympics Australia chief executive Catherine Clark said the collaboration with UQ was another step towards achieving PA’s vision of a world-leading and equitable sport system.
“The University of Queensland will help deliver our stated ambition to lead, develop and leverage partnerships to build capability and enhance Paralympic sport equity and success towards and beyond 2032,” Clark said.
The university comes with a strong pedigree, ranked second in the world for sports science.
Photo: UQ VC Deborah Terry, Paralympian Lakeisha Patterson and Paralympics Australia CEO Catherine Clark