What is talent search?

The Paralympic Talent Search Program is only open to people with disabilities that enable them to participate in events currently on the Paralympic Games schedule.
 
This includes but is not limited to amputees, people with cerebral palsy, limb deficiencies, people in wheelchairs, people with a vision impairment and people with an intellectual disability, to name a few.

The Paralympic Talent Search Program is an initiative of the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) introduced following the Athens Paralympic Games. Its main aim is to identify people with physical disabilities who display the athletic potential to one day make it to Paralympic level competition.

Is the Paralympic Talent Search Program successful?

Since its inception in 2005, the program has enjoyed great success, testing over 1800 Paralympic hopefuls in every state and territory across Australia. Of these, 27 athletes excelled through their sporting pathways to represent Australia at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games and win 14 medals. A further two Talent Search athletes represented Australia at the Vancouver Paralympic Games in 2010 with one of these, alpine skier Jessica Gallagher, winning a medal.

Since 2005, the APC's Paralympic Talent Search Program has successfully identified over 450 athletes with the potential to compete at the London 2012, Sochi 2014, or Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. These athletes are currently being guided through the appropriate Paralympic sporting pathways that will hopefully lead to success.

How do I get involved?

Each Talent Search Day involves a series of testing including general measurements as well as sport specific tests. Coaches from the targeted sports are involved in the testing process and are ultimately the “talent spotters”. The APC then works in conjunction with our Paralympic coaches, State Disability Organisations and State Sporting Organisations to ensure each talented participant has access to coaching and competition opportunities for his/her chosen sport and displays a high level of commitment and dedication to achieving goals.
 
This is just the first step in the process of identifying people with disabilities who display the potential to make a future Australian Paralympic team. In most cases, it will take years of training and preparation to reach the standards required to compete at a Paralympic level.
 
All participants are provided with information and guidance to help them become involved in physical activity at any level they wish to pursue. Those identified as showing potential will be encouraged to take the next step in their sporting endeavours, which will vary from sport to sport and person to person.

Examples of what these next steps may be include:
•    Committing to a regular training program with an identified coach
•    Joining the relevant sporting club and taking part in regular competition
•    Linking with an athlete mentor who is a past or present Paralympian

Details of 2012 Paralympic Talent Search days will be uploaded in the coming days

APC State Development Coordinator Contacts:

The full list of 2012 Talent Search dates will be uploaded shortly.
Registrations for an upcoming Toyota Paralympic Talent Search can be made here