Leadership Quartet Pave Path to Paris | Captains Announced for World Para Championships

Australia’s 39-strong team will be led by four captains at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships beginning in Paris, France today with Jaryd Clifford, Angela Ballard, Sarah Walsh and Chad Perris earning the support of their teammates’ votes.

Creating a welcoming environment at staging camps in Montpellier, France and Nottwil, Switzerland the group has played an integral role in the final preparations of athletes ahead of the first World Para Athletics Championships since 2019 – striking a balance with the youthful exuberance of the emerging stars.

With key eligibility criteria also including World Championships experience, the leadership quartet met with nine debutants to ease their nerves ahead of their first appearance on the international stage, as Walsh reflected with pride on the appointment at 24-years-old.

“This trip I’m very excited to see all of our new debutants put on the green and gold for the first time and represent Australia, but also seeing all the athletes I have been on many teams with show the world what they can do as well,” Walsh said.

“I started my World Championships debut as a 17-year-old girl, so to be able to get a few more under my belt and represent our team, as well as showing our young ones what they can do and what they can achieve – it’s very exciting.”

Days after his 24^th birthday, Clifford delivered a short but sweet message to the athletes just moments away from achieving the biggest milestone of their careers to date, with the reigning 1500m/5000m T12 world champion offering his perspective on inexperience.

“At your first World Championships the goal should really just be to be a sponge. Soak it up, learn as much as possible and enjoy yourselves. These are going to be the best times of your career, going into a major championship without any pre-conceived idea of what is going to happen. I think when you do that, you can sometimes surprise yourself,” Clifford said.

Making her debut as a 16-year-old in 1998, Ballard has contributed 25-years to the top level of Para athletics, with the nine-time World Championships representative eager to continue the nation’s rich history of success through empowering the next generation to dream big on and off the track.

“I love this group because we all care and help each other, and that’s one of the strongest things about wheelchair racers in Australia. We know that the way we learn and the way we progress is generally through our peers and their experiences. I feel very strongly that I am surrounded by really cool people who do a really good job, I don’t think it ever goes one way,” Ballard said.

The popular Perris brings further experience and a friendly face to the table, with the ‘White Tiger’ set to unleash down the straight of Stade Charlety in the 100m T13 as he leads from the front and looks to land Team Australia at the business end of the medal tally.

The 2023 World Para Athletics run from July 8-17 in Paris, France. Australian viewers can tune in live and free through the Nine Network ahead of the 2024 Paralympic Games.

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 7/7/2023