Para-athletics encompasses athletics (track and field) for athletes with a range of disabilities — including wheelchair racing, throwing events for seated athletes, visual impairment running, and amputee field events. Para-athletics Australia and Athletics Australia govern the sport. Australia has produced Paralympic athletics champions across multiple disciplines. This guide covers the key funding sources for para-athletics clubs and programmes.
Athletics Australia governs para-athletics:
- Track (sprints, middle distance, marathon wheelchair racing)
- Field (throws, jumps for amputee and visual impairment athletes)
- Paralympic disciplines across T (track) and F (field) classifications
- National championship events
- Paralympic pathway
Contact Athletics Australia and your state athletics body for access to investment.
Paralympics Australia funds para-athletics as a core Paralympic sport:
- National programme investment
- High performance pathway
- Paralympic selection and preparation
State Paralympic councils fund community para-athletics.
Sport Australia funds para-athletics through Athletics Australia and Paralympics Australia:
- Para-sport development investment
State sport agencies fund community para-athletics:
- NSW Office of Sport: Para-athletics clubs and equipment
- Sport and Recreation Victoria: Disability athletics development
- State agencies: Para-athletics across Australia
Gaming grants fund para-athletics clubs:
- NSW ClubGRANTS: Disability sport development
- State gaming trusts: Equipment and programme grants
Gaming grant applications for para-athletics:
- Racing wheelchairs — $3,000–$8,000+ each
- Racing wheelchair maintenance parts
- Throwing frames for seated field athletes — $800–$3,000+
- Guide runner tethers (for vision impaired athletes)
- Starting blocks adapted for amputee athletes
- Para-javelin, para-discus, para-shot put
Para-athletics requires diverse specialist equipment by classification:
T53/T54 (wheelchair racing):
- Racing wheelchair: Purpose-built for track — $3,000–$8,000+; marathon chair $5,000–$12,000
- Racing gloves: Protection for pushing
- Head protection: Some track events
T11–T13 (visual impairment):
- Guide runner: Partner athlete who runs with a tether
- Guide tether: Connection rope between VI runner and guide
- No specialist equipment cost beyond standard athletics gear
F series (field events):
- Throwing frame: Seated throwing position holder — $800–$3,000+
- Standard field equipment (javelin, discus, shot, hammer)
T61–T64 (amputee):
- Running prosthesis: High-performance carbon-fibre blade — $10,000–$25,000+
- Often funded through NDIS or prosthetics programmes
Running prostheses are major equipment items:
- NDIS: High-performance prostheses potentially fundable for eligible participants
- Prosthetics providers: Partial funding through healthcare pathways
- Disability foundations: Equipment grants for running blades
Para-athletics has extensive T (track) and F (field) classifications:
- T11–T13: Visual impairment
- T20: Intellectual impairment
- T33–T38: Cerebral palsy/coordination impairment
- T42–T47: Limb impairment/short stature
- T51–T54: Wheelchair users (upper limb distinction)
- T61–T64: Prosthetic use/amputee
Understanding classification helps in grant applications — equipment needs vary significantly.
Junior development:
- Junior Paralympic pathway: U20 para-athletics programme
- Schools athletics: Para-athletics in physical education
- Development clubs: After-school para-athletics training
Women's participation:
- Full Olympic programme: Women compete in all para-athletics disciplines
- Sport Australia: Women in sport investment
- Growing women's para-athletics participation nationally
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Participant numbers: Athletes by classification, age, and gender
- Equipment: Racing wheelchairs, throwing frames — specific list by classification
- Paralympic pathway: Connection to national and state competition
- Disability inclusion: Programme accessible for various disability types
- Running prosthetics: NDIS or foundation pathway for T61–T64 athletes
- Guide runner programme: Support for VI runners
- Junior development: Youth para-athletics pathway
- Organisation governance: Affiliation to Athletics Australia and Paralympics Australia
Tahua's grants management platform helps para-athletics clubs manage grant applications across Athletics Australia, Paralympics Australia, state sport agencies, disability funders, and gaming trusts, tracking equipment, classification, and Paralympic pathway outcomes.