Expert panel to help shape the future of Para sport

The expert panel will use their extensive knowledge of Para sport and lived experience to help improve accessibility in sport for all Queenslanders.

The state marked seven years until the start of the 2032 Paralympic Games on Sunday 24 August.

Panel lead Michael Dobbie-Bridges said he was looking forward to working with the Government to develop a Games legacy that would benefit all Queenslanders.

“It’s critical that we look at the ecosystem of sport, not just Paralympic sport, to make sure that anyone with a disability that wants to be more active has the opportunity to do so,” Mr Dobbie-Bridges said.

“It’s really important that we don’t just focus on the south-east corner of Queensland and that we make sure that people with disability from Dalby and beyond get the same opportunities to play sport.

“We have an amazing opportunity with the Games to help shape the physical and mental health of people with disability and the opportunities that they have.

“We want to make sure that we get to 2032 and we have more people with disability being active, more often. If we can achieve that, we will have had some pretty important impacts on people’s lives.”

The Olympic and Paralympic Games Office has also welcomed three-time Paralympian Carlee Beattie, who has joined the team as a Senior Project Support Officer.

In addition to her athletic achievements, Carlee has worked in major events and sport at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Oceania Athletics Association and the Queensland Academy of Sport. She is also a role model for many young people with disability, promoting the opportunities available through sport.

Members of the Para Sport Reference Panel include:

• Michael Dobbie-Bridges PLY is a celebrated Paralympian in wheelchair tennis and three-time All Australian wheelchair AFL athlete. Beyond sports, Michael has been involved in governance and advocacy, previously chairing Sporting Wheelies, serving on boards such as Disability Employment Australia and now as a director at Create Advisory.

• Ella Sabiljak PLY is a dual Paralympian in wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby. She is also a primary school teacher and serves as Paralympics Australia’s Education Officer, in addition to being elected to their Athlete Commission. Ella is a vocal advocate for inclusivity, focusing on lasting equity in sporting opportunity.

• Dane Cross is an experienced access consultant, advocate and Chief Operating Officer at Sporting Wheelies, a key organisation promoting sport, recreation, and rehabilitation for people with disabilities.

• Emma Beckman is an academic at the University of Queensland (UQ), holding a master’s in Adapted Physical Activity and a PhD in strength assessment for classification in Para Sport. Emma is an internationally accredited classifier in Para Athletics and the Para Sport High Performance Manager at the Queensland Academy of Sport.

• Torita Blake PLY is a two-time Paralympic track athlete, ambassador for the Raise the Bar Academy, which supports Indigenous students through athletics, and a member of Paralympics Australia’s First Nations Advisory Group.

• Jen Rees is an operations manager and community development coordinator based in Cairns with experience delivering programs to enhance community wellbeing and inclusion, including the establishment of wheelchair tennis in North Queensland. Jen is passionate about fostering a love of sport for people of all abilities.