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Rising stars in one of the Paralympic Games’ fastest growing sports will gain the rare experience of competing at an internationally approved event when Paralympics Australia hosts the first of its four-part 2026 Para Powerlifting Australia Grand Prix Series on Saturday February 14.
The NSW Grand Prix, at Thirroul Surf Life Saving Club, south of Sydney, will be followed Grand Prix competitions in Adelaide in May and Melbourne in August, before the main event on the Australian Para powerlifting calendar, the Australian National Championships on the Gold Coast in November.
Para Powerlifting Performance Pathways Manager, Paul Sealey, said the Grand Prix series was an exciting next step in the sport’s rebirth in Australia, as part of the Federal Government’s Para System Uplift funding injection.
“The introduction of the Grand Prix series marks a significant step forward for Para Powerlifting in Australia, providing athletes with consistent, high-quality domestic competition where they can test themselves, track their progress and measure their performance against the nation’s best,” Sealey said.
“Historically, Para powerlifters in Australia have had limited opportunities to compete at home. These Grand Prix events create a clear development pathway, offering aspiring Paralympians the high-performance environment they need to refine their skills, build competition experience and accelerate their progression toward international success.”
Among those scheduled to compete at Grand Prix 1 is 2025 World Championships representative Dan Bos, who will be honing his performance before the Bangkok 2026 Asia-Oceania Open Championships, which starts on April 7. At his most recent event, Bos pressed three times his bodyweight, with a best lift of 151 kilograms.
Also scheduled to compete is 14-year-old Carly Young, who impressed as an unofficial competitor at last year’s National Championships. This will be Young’s first official competition where her results will count towards World Para Powerlifting rankings in the rookie division.
2026 Grand Prix dates
February 14 - NSW GP @ Thirroul SLSC (Wollongong)
May 17 - SA GP @ SASI (Adelaide)
August 15 - Vic GP @ NEC Hangar (Melbourne)
November 21 - Australian National Championships @ Nerang RSL Functions and event centre (Gold Coast)
By David Sygall, Paralympics Australia.
Published 3 February, 2026.
