Back To News
Amber Merritt considers herself “one of the lucky ones” and it’s a slice of fortune she wants to share at the next Paralympics Australia Multi-Sport Day, in Perth on Saturday.
The Australian Gliders wheelchair basketball star was a state representative swimmer but was classified out of the sport after being told she was too able-bodied. She was then disqualified from able-bodied swimming because, due to her club foot, she wasn’t able to kick in time.
“Being a 13-year-old girl and being told you don’t fit in was really hard,” Merritt said.
“My parents tried to fight the system for a while but it was no use.”
Helping in that fight was the legendary Frank Ponta, a member of Australia’s first Paralympic Games team who later coached athletes including Louise Sauvage and Priya Cooper and was a pioneer of wheelchair basketball, particularly in Western Australia.
“One day Frank said to me ‘Obviously you still want to be active in sport, why don’t you give wheelchair basketball a try?” Merritt said.
“I honestly thought he was joking, but obviously he saw something. I started training on Saturdays and Tuesdays with Frank. We did development sessions, weaving between cones, things like that. It’s pretty surreal to think about. I owe my whole career to him.
“Sometimes it just takes that one little push from someone who has belief in you. That’s the beautiful thing about the Paralympic Movement, everyone believes in each other. We always look for ways to overcome the limitations we might place on ourselves.”
Help the next generation of Australian Paralympians chase their sporting dreams; Donate today!
At the Multi-Sport Event at Cockburn ARC, Merritt wants to give participants that one little push they might need. She said she especially looked forward to meeting people who, like her, have a disability that isn’t visible. Whatever one’s impairment, she said, it’s about pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone and realising the liberation that can come from that.
“Not everyone will go to the Paralympics, but it’s great to just show people the opportunities that sport can give them at any level. It’s such a great outlet they can explore.”
Get involved: register for our WA Multi-Sport Day.
Ponta – a Hall of Fame member at Paralympics Australia, Sport Australia and the International Paralympic Committee – died in 2011, just as Merritt’s basketball career was taking off. She recalled a visit to his grave before a qualifying tournament for Rio 2016.
“I sat there for about 90 minutes and was just talking to him. I still visit. It’s a very grounding and humbling experience. I owe so much to him for getting me involved and instilling me with the resilience to become the athlete I am today.
“I think that’s why I’m so looking forward to this weekend, just knowing what Frank did for me, along with all the other coaches and people I’ve worked with since. I’ve always believed in giving back to a community that’s given so much to you.”
Paralympics Australia will host Multi-Sport Days in Perth on Saturday and in Geelong, Victoria on Sunday.
Get involved: register for our VIC Multi-Sport Day.
By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 18 October 2022
