Jamieson Leeson

If it is true that you are the company you keep, Jamieson Leeson is a star in the making.

She is friends with Australian jockey Hugh Bowman and his champion mare, Winx, and plays alongside world No. 3 boccia player Dan Michel.

But Jamieson is also putting in the work to become a sportswoman in her own right, and after only a year of competing in boccia, she is on the verge of making her Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

Since being scouted at a school boccia tournament, Jamieson has improved out of sight. On the court, she has won a handful of medals, including silver ahead of Spencer Cotie (bronze) at the 2019 Boccia Australia National Titles, and off the court, she says that she has become a better person, because boccia has taught her to persevere.

For Jamieson, becoming a Paralympian is about more than the opportunity to represent her country – as incredible as she knows that will be. She also hopes to be able to use the platform it creates to inspire others who have hopes and dreams similar to the ones she held not all that long ago.

Jamieson, who was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy when she was 18 months old, not only faces the prospect of competing at her first Paralympic Games this year, but also graduating high school. Striking a balance between sport and study will be a challenge in itself, but Jamieson is as equipped as any to do both her school and country proud.