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The Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, which forever transformed Australian sport, will be celebrated by some of the key figures who were involved at an intimate get-together at the Sydney Opera House on Saturday.
The 25th anniversary event, hosted by three-time Paralympian Kartina Webb, will reunite more than 120 athletes, coaches and staff from the 2000 Australian Paralympic Team for an afternoon of reminiscing and celebrating.
Among the guest list are some of the superstars who shone at the Games, including swimmer Priya Cooper, wheelchair tennis player David Hall and wheelchair basketball player Liesl Tesch, who will take part in a panel discussing the Games and their remarkable legacy.
Michael Knight, who served as the Minister in charge of the Sydney Olympic and Paralympic Games, will also attend.
The 2000 Summer Paralympics was opened by the Governor-General Sir William Deane on October 18 and featured 3,879 athletes from 123 nations. They contested 550 events in 18 sports.
Australia, for the first and only time to date, finished on top of the medal tally with 149 medals; 63 gold, 39 silver and 47 bronze. The team consisted of 285 athletes and 148 officials and competed in all 18 sports.
“I’m really excited to see some of my teammates again because we went through something so profound together,” said Elizabeth Wright, who won a silver and a bronze medal in Para-swimming at Sydney 2000.
“Competing at the Sydney Games, even if you haven’t spoken to someone for the 25 years since, there’s still that bond and that recognition towards each other.”
Wright is now a journalist at the ABC whose work includes covering Para-sport.
“I grew up only 20 minutes down the road from Homebush, so it literally was a ‘home’ Home Games for me,” she said. “Having my family there to cheer me on made it all the more special and unique.
“I remember walking out onto that pool deck every single day and the stands were packed, absolutely packed. I think for a lot of us that had never experienced that before, it was quite a shock, but it was exciting as well because I think it was that genuine recognition from the Australian public that that Para-sport is interesting, fun to watch, it’s competitive and can really bring communities together.
“It certainly did that and it certainly changed a lot of attitudes around disability and disability in sport, in particular.”
Wright’s sentiment will be reflected in closing remarks by Paralympics Australia President Grant Mizens at the event on Saturday.
Mizens, who was a member of the Australian Rollers wheelchair basketball team that won the gold medal at Beijing 2008 and silver medals at Athens 2004 and London 2012, will say: “I remember watching those Games and being completely captivated. You showed the world that Australia not only hosted the best Paralympic Games in history, but how the Paralympic Movement deserves its rightful place on the global stage, alongside the other major sporting events that billions of people admire.
“The Sydney Paralympic Games was a defining chapter in our nation’s sporting story… But, beyond the record-breaking performances, Sydney 2000 redefined the way Australians saw themselves. It changed the way they thought of their own potential and the potential of Australians who live with disability.
“The Games taught millions of people in this country to see ability first and to truly recognise the skill, power and dedication of Paralympic athletes.”
Mizens will also say: “When I speak with our current athletes aspiring for Paralympic success, so many of them mention Sydney. They’ve watched the footage. They’ve heard your stories. They want to honour your legacy by building on it.
“Let’s carry that pride forward. Let’s continue to honour what Sydney 2000 stood for – inclusion, unity and success – and let’s ensure its impact continues to be felt well into the future.”
Over the next 11 days, corresponding to the 11 days of competition at Sydney 2000, Paralympics Australia will publish a series of stories that provide a thrilling insight into what became a transformational moment in Australian sport.
By David Sygall, Paralympics Australia.
Published 17 October, 2025.
