Talent Search

Toyota Paralympic Talent Search Program
    
  Upcoming Dates for 2009

 20/08/2009

 QLD

 Bowen

 Talent Search - In conjunction with NQ Sports Tour

 29/08/2009

 QLD

 Brisbane

 Athletics Talent Search - UQ

 05/09/2009

 TAS

 Hobart

 Clarence Basketball Stadium & Aquatic Centre

 12/09/2009

 QLD

 Ipswich

 Talent Search (emphasis on CP football)

 19/09/2009

 SA

 Wingfield

 Shooting Talent Search

 20/09/2009

 WA

 Albany

 Talent Search Albany Leisure & Aquatic Centre

 27/09/2009

 NSW

 Sydney

 Talent Search Hurstville Aquatic and Leisure Centre



For the full 2009 dates please click here.

The Toyota Paralympic Talent Search Program is an initiative of the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) introduced in 2005 following the Athens Paralympic Games. Its main aim is to identify people with physical disabilities or vision impairments who display the athletic potential to one day make it to Paralympic level competition. 

The Program is a great success story with 27 Talent Search athletes going on to represent Australia at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games including 15 athletes going on to win medals.  The challenge now is to identify the next group of talented athletes that will become the sporting stars of future Paralympic Games including Vancouver (Winter 2010), London (Summer 2012) and beyond.
 Toyota Paralympic Talent Search Program is only open to people with disabilities which would enable them to participate in events currently on the Paralympic Games schedule.
This includes but is not limited to amputees, people with cerebral palsy, limb deficiencies, people in wheelchairs, people with a vision impairment to name a few.

Each Talent Search Day involves a series of testing including general measurements as well as sport specific tests. Coaches from the targeted sports are involved in the testing process and are ultimately the “talent spotters”. The APC then works in conjunction with our Paralympic coaches, State Disability Organisations and State Sporting Organisations to ensure each talented participant has access to coaching and competition opportunities for his/her chosen sport and displays a high level of commitment and dedication to achieving goals. This is just the first step in the process of identifying people with disabilities who display the potential to make a future Australian Paralympic team. In most cases it will take years of training and preparation to reach the standards required to compete at a Paralympic level.

 

 

All participants are provided with information and guidance to help them become involved in physical activity at any level they wish to pursue.
Those identified as showing potential will be encouraged to take the next step in their sporting endeavors, which will vary from sport to sport and person to person.

Examples of what these next steps may be include:
 ·         Committing to a regular training program with an identified coach;
 ·         Joining the relevant sporting club and taking part in regular competition;
·         Linking with an athlete mentor who is a past or present Paralympian.
The program has tested over 1000 participants from all States and Territories since the inception of the program in 2005.
 
A fact sheet on the program and registration form is available from the link below.

Alternatively, contact the Development Officer in your state:
VIC/TAS: Tim Matthews tim.matthews@paralympic.org.au  03 9614 6800 
NSW: Anna Muldoon anna.muldoon@paralympic.org.au  02 9704 0514
QLD: Alison Mosely alisonm@sportingwheelies.org.au  07 3253 3333 
SA/NT: Tim Matthews tim.matthews@paralympic.org.au  03 9614 6800  
ACT: Chris Nunn
 chris.nunn@paralympic.org.au  0438 604 634
WA: Matt Roper matthew.roper@paralympic.org.au

 0418 443 481 


Further Information and downloads
Talent Search Registration Form (pdf format) or (word.doc)