Five NSWIS Para Athletes Selected for World Championships

With a powerful mix of debutants and Paralympic champions, Australia’s largest Para-athletics team in a quarter of a century is bound for New Delhi, setting the stage for a new chapter on the road to Brisbane 2032.

Announced today by Australian Athletics at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre in Brisbane, the 51-strong squad is the second-biggest team Australia has set to a World Para Athletics Championships and the largest team since the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, marking a major step forward in the momentum of Australian Para-athletics.

Among the team are 11 Paralympic medallists including reigning world and Paralympic champions Vanessa Low (Long Jump T61) and James Turner (100m and 400m T36), who bring world-class pedigree to the squad.

The decorated duo are joined by 24 debutants, including the youngest team member at 14-years-old Lexie Brown (100m and 200m T47) and Queenslander Nathan Jason (100m T12), a former Para-swimmer who has already represented Australia on the international stage.

The team also includes several NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holders, such as Luke Bailey (100m, 400m, 800m T54), Telaya Blacksmith (100m, Long Jump T20), Jackson Love (100m, 200m T35), Mali Lovell (100m, 200m T36), and Rheed McCracken (100m, 400m, 800m T34).

Sprinter Chad Perris (100m T13) is one of many senior figures who will guide the emerging lineup; a prospect that he is excited by as he eyes both individual and team success in New Delhi from September 26 to October 5.

“I’m really excited for this team. For me personally, it’s a tenth major championships for Australia and I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to achieve since my first in Lyon in 2013. I think this will mark nearly six years since I was on the podium, so I’m keen to get back onto one of those steps there,” Perris said.

“There are so many fresh faces and I’ve only been at training camp for one day, but there are so many smiles rolling around. There is a small portion of the team who are old heads like myself, but these guys are the future of our sport who will be going to Brisbane 2032 and beyond.”

The second of two 14-year-olds on the team Makayla Elcoate (100m and Long Jump T44) will make her international debut in India’s capital while taking a break from her Year 9 studies to get a taste of top level competition having only began her journey in the sport three years ago.

“I started by competing in my school athletics carnival in Year 6, the year after having my leg lengthening surgery, and I did pretty good,” Elcoate said.

“To progress to competing in Perth at the Open Australian Athletics Championships this year, racing against Paralympians and World Championships athletes was the greatest honour. Topping it off with the bronze medal in the long jump was incredible.”

Australian Athletics General Manager – High Performance, Andrew Faichney said the team represents a new chapter for Para-athletics.

“It’s not by chance that this is our biggest Para-athletics team since Sydney 2000. Increased funding, better pathways and a high performance system that backs our athletes is creating real impact, not just in numbers, but in culture, excellence and ambition,” Faichney said.

“To see this kind of depth, with rising stars standing shoulder-to-shoulder with global champions, tell us that Australian Para-athletics is not only back on the rise, but we’re setting a course to be a Para-athletics powerhouse once again.

“I’d like to congratulate each of the 51 members of the team, and we look forward to each of them contributing to Australia’s rich history in Para-athletics on the world stage.”

Australian Athletics CEO Simon Hollingsworth echoed Faichney’s comments stating: “I’m really looking forward to being there to watch this team take to the world stage in New Delhi.”

“With so much young talent and experienced leadership in the mix, I have no doubt they’ll represent Australia with pride and a strong sense of what’s possible, not just in 2025, but as we build towards LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032.”

The 2025 World Para Athletics Championships will take place in New Delhi, India from Friday, 26 September to Sunday, 5 October.

Australian Team for the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, India

100m – Samuel Allen T37 (QLD, Debut, Stacey Taurima), Luke Bailey T54 (NSW, #379, Fred Periac), Telaya Blacksmith T20 (NSW, #403, Jacinta Doyle), Lexie Brown T47 (NSW, Debut, Zenon Kowalczyk), Rhiannon Clarke T38 (WA, #374, Danny Kevan), Abby Craswell T36 (QLD, #395, Paul Pearce), Makayla Elcoate T44 (QLD, Debut, Richard Franklin), Coco Espie T34 (NSW, Debut, Louise Sauvage), Summer Giddings T35 (NSW, Debut, Michael Hemmings-Jones), Nathan Jason T12 (QLD, Debut, Vincent Jason), Liam Kernick T37 (VIC, Debut, Adam McCann), Shannon Leatch T38 (TAS, Debut, Vasanth Krishnan), Jackson Love T35 (NSW, Debut, Andrew Iselin), Mali Lovell T36 (NSW, #401, Katie Edwards), Niamh Mac Alasdair T37 (WA, Debut, Danny Kevan), Rheed McCraken T34 (NSW, #341), Sam McIntosh T52 (VIC, #330, Fred Periac), Alexander McKillop T36 (TAS, Debut, Rosemary Coleman), Ullrich Muller T38 (QLD, Debut, Ian Thompson), Jack Netting T35 (SA, Debut, Lynn Larsen), Jaydon Page T47 (ACT, #388, Rowan Vergano), Chad Perris T13 (ACT, #351, Matt Beckenham), Michael Shippley T44 (QLD, Debut, Paul Pearce), Akeesha Snowden T37 (SA, Debut, Lynn Larsen), James Tirado T13 (NSW, Debut, Andrew Murphy), James Turner T36 (ACT, #369, Iryna Dvoskina), Kirra Wright T36 (VIC, Debut, Craig Chapman & Jo Kampf)

200m – Allen T37, Briseis Brittain T38 (NT, Debut, Roger Chin), Brown T47, Clarke T38, Craswell T36, Jordan Fairweather T35 (VIC, Debut, Duane Girton), Kernick T37, Love T35, Lovell T36, Netting T35, Layla Sharp T38 (NSW, Debut, Rob Marks), Shippley T44, Snowden T37

400m – Bailey T54, Brittain T38, Sam Carter T54 (ACT, #322, Fred Periac), Clarke T38, Ben Epplestun T38 (ACT, Debut, Philo Saunders), Espie T34, McCracken T34, Muller T38, Cooper Robb-Jackson T38 (NSW, Debut, Greg Smith), Sharp T38, Snowden T37, Turner T36

800m – Bailey T54, Espie T34, McCracken T34, Samuel Rizzo T54 (VIC, #376, Fred Periac)

1500m – Bailey T54, Jaryd Clifford T12 (VIC, #359, Philo Saunders), Annabelle Colman T20 (VIC, #394, Anthony De Castella & Liz Gosper), Epplestun T38 (Debut), Angus Hincksman T38 (SA, #398, Philo Saunders), Reece Langdon T38 (VIC, #400, Tim O’Shauhgnessy), Daniel Milone T20 (VIC, #402, Gavin Burren), Rizzo T54, Will Short T13 (VIC, Debut, Mickael Soussan), Michael Roeger T47 (SA, Philo Saunders)

5000m – Clifford T12, Rizzo T54

Discus Throw – Ella Hose F37 (VIC, #399, John Eden)

Javelin Throw – Corey Anderson F38 (QLD, #378, Lukas Cannan), Michal Burian F44 (VIC, #386, Dale Stevenson), Dayna Crees F34 (VIC, #396, Gordon Talbot)

Long Jump – Blacksmith T20, Elcoate T44, Ari Gesini T38 (ACT, #381, Rowan Vergano), Vanessa Low T61 (ACT, #383, Scott Reardon), Michael Mayne T38 (VIC, Debut, Alwyn Jones), Sarah Walsh T64 (NSW, #366, Matt Beckenham), Mac Alasdair T37

Shot Put – Cameron Crombie F38 (VIC, #370, Hamish MacDonald), Hose F37, Rosemary Little F32 (NSW, #340, Breanne Clement), Wright F36

Australian Athletics