Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences

The ParaSTART Program

The ParaSTART Program is a sports training program for people eligible to participate in the Paralympic Games.

START stands for Sports Training And Research Team.

Developed by Associate Professor Sean Tweedy, Dr Emma Beckman, Dr Mark Connick, Dr Leanne Johnston and a team of PhD candidates from the UQ School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, the team is exploring the therapeutic benefit of sports training for people with high support needs.

Meet the ParaSTART team

The first ParaSTART squad consists of four young people with moderate-to-severe cerebral palsy: Jamie, Tash, Kunal and Nate. They’re taking on the challenge of trying to make the Australian swimming team for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Read about their inspiring story.
Get involved
ParaSTART provides one-on-one and group-based training to anyone with a disability for the sports of swimming, track and field. Our qualified staff can work safely and effectively with anyone with a disability, regardless of diagnosis or impairment severity, including those with high support needs.

Donate now

With high support needs athletes come high support costs. Your donation can assist these hard-working and dedicated athletes get the best training possible. If you would like to support the ParaSTART Program, please consider making a tax-deductible donation. Your donation will assist young people with cerebral palsy get the best training possible, with the ultimate goal of qualifying for a Paralympic team.

Donate