Malachi, 17, dreams of representing Australia at Brisbane 2032 Paralympics. The Games may be eight years away, but he trains every day at the athletics track in his hometown of Lismore.
As the world's attention is on the Paris Olympics , 17-year-old Malachi has his sights set elsewhere — on making his mark at the 2032 Brisbane Paralympic Games.
He has also represented Australia twice: first at the 2022 Virtus Oceania Asia Games in Brisbane, and then at the 2023 Virtus Global Games in France, the world's largest elite sporting event for athletes with intellectual impairments."Usain Bolt is my idol. I also look up to Alberto Campbell," he says.For Malachi, his commitment to athletics goes beyond his physical training, it's his way of life.
Competing in para-athletics can be costly, from flights and accommodation to coaching, uniforms and equipment. Mr Mitchell says Malachi's determination was evident from the first day they met and discussed future goals."Each session he's motivated to come in, which makes the world of a difference in terms of reaching that end goal."
"I had no understanding of what the Paralympics were. I remember I got over there and there were 80,000 people in the crowd," she says.Born in Moree and raised in Logan, south-east Queensland, Blake knows firsthand the difficulties Indigenous teens from rural areas face when pursing the Paralympics, particularly the financial challenges.
Blake is a mentor for Raise the Bar Academy, a joint initiative between Athletics Australia and the University of Melbourne, aimed at helping Indigenous high school students discover tertiary education and employment through sports. It is also partnering with the Australian Institute of Sport and national sporting organisations to help unearth potential para-athletes.
Takeover Lismore Teenager Athletics Paralympics Para-Athlete Indigenous Torita Blake Sam Mitchell Indigenous Athlete Indigenous Teen Athlete Brisbane 2032 Malachi Paris Olympics
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