Eithen Leard

Eithen Leard is on a fast track towards the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, something that’s been a long time coming.   

His journey to the green and gold started when he was three, his family moving from Mackay to Brisbane in search of better opportunities for him to thrive while living with a spinal cord deformity discovered at birth. 

His father took Eithen to watch his first wheelchair basketball clash in Auchenflower, Brisbane and his dream was born.  

Eithen’s tenacity and commitment making him a standout competitor. At 12, he was a Commonwealth Games baton bearer, taking to the streets of Ipswich he rolled down the street to cheers. A pivotal moment for a kid who always set out to make a difference in the way people perceive those with disabilities.  

He rose quickly through the ranks, landing on the national radar in his mid-teens years before making his national debut at 17.  

From then on, he hasn’t looked back – and he won’t – until he reaches the Paralympics.