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Paralympics Australia has congratulated The Honourable Anika Wells MP on her reappointment as Federal Minister for Sport, which will extend her strong engagement with the Australian Paralympic movement.
Since taking on the portfolio in June 2022, Minister Wells has played a central role in elevating the profile of Paralympic sport and leading historic increases in investment, including long-term funding certainty for athletes and high-performance programs preparing for summer and winter Games on the runway to Brisbane 2032.
“On behalf of Paralympics Australia, I congratulate Minister Wells on her reappointment and wish her continued success in the role in which she has provided invaluable engagement and support for our mission to create the most successful era in Australian Paralympic sport,” PA President Alison Creagh said.
“Minister Wells has been a true advocate for inclusion, equity and excellence across the Australian sports system, and we are pleased that the work she has led can develop further to grow Para-sport and prepare for an outstanding Games at Brisbane 2032.”
The Federal Government announced $54.9 million in new funding in mid-2024 for Australian Paralympic sport, signalling the rollout of what has become known as the Para System Uplift.
With investment into initiatives driven through the National Sporting Organisations and the National Sporting Organisations for People with Disability, the National Institute Network and PA, work has already begun on delivering enhanced support for Paralympic athletes, grassroots participation and the pathways needed to ensure Australia’s competitive edge in the lead-up for future Paralympic campaigns.
“Minister Wells has demonstrated strong leadership in strengthening support for the Paralympic movement. Her commitment and long-term vision is already helping to set the foundations for success at Brisbane 2032 and beyond,” PA Chief Executive Cameron Murray said.
“We share her ambition to see Australia excel across the Olympic and Paralympic medal tallies in Brisbane. With her continued leadership, we are confident that our Para-athletes will be well-positioned to win well at the best Games ever and make the most of their talents.”
Asked in March how she would define success in her role as Federal Sports Minister, Minister Wells told SBS Sport: “For me, it will be whether we can top the medal tally for the Paralympics in Brisbane.”
“We topped it in Sydney [2000]. We’ve dropped to eighth in Paris [2024], but it’s really a priority for the Prime Minister and I to try and get back to number one again,” Minister Wells continued.
“We’ve doubled the funding for Paralympic sport, we know for every one out of four Australians with a disability play a sport, but three out of four would like to and we want to give them that opportunity.
“I think that would be a transformative outcome if we could top the medal tally in Brisbane with our Paralympians.”
Paralympics Australia looks forward to continuing its close collaboration with Minister Wells and the Australian Government to build a more inclusive, successful and sustainable sporting future for all Australians.
By: Tim Mannion, Paralympics Australia
Published: 12 May 2025
