By Disability Sports Australia Media Team
Australia’s next generation of Paralympic athletes could soon be discovered in local sports centres.
The Bupa Try Para Sport Series is returning in 2026 to give people with disability the chance to try Para sport and take the first step towards the Paralympic Games.
Following the momentum of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, attention is already turning to the next generation of Australian Paralympians.
Delivered by Disability Sports Australia (DSA) in partnership with Paralympics Australia (PA) and supported by Bupa, the national series will visit 10 locations across Australia between 28th March and 3rd May, introducing participants to a range of Para sports and connecting them with coaches, classifiers and local sporting pathways.
The initiative is designed to open the door to sport for people with disability – while also helping identify emerging talent as Australia looks toward the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.
The impact of the program is already being seen. During the 2024 Bupa Try Para Sport Series, around 350 people registered, with 225 participants attending events nationwide. From those events, 52 athletes were referred into Australian Institute of Sport Future Green & Gold Talent Pathway, connecting them with high-performance opportunities.
One of those emerging athlete is Cameron Wales, a wheelchair rugby player who has progressed rapidly through the development pathway and was recently named in the extended squad for the Australian Steelers, Australia’s national wheelchair rugby team.
After sustaining a spinal injury while travelling overseas several years ago, Wales returned to Australia and saw sport as a key part of his rehabilitation. Attending Bupa Try Para Sport introduced him to the world of Para sport – a moment that ultimately set him on a new athletic pathway.
Wales said the event was a valuable experience for him.
“The Bupa Try Para Sport event helped me see sports that I didn’t even know existed for people with disability,” Wales said.
“Being able to try things and speak with athletes already involved in different programs helped me understand the breadth of pathways that were available to me. ‘
Through the event, I was able to discover what I enjoyed about each sport and connect with people who champion Para sport, leading me to wheelchair rugby.”
Paralympic canoe champion Curtis McGrath OAM, a Bupa ambassador, said programs like Try Para Sport play a vital role in helping people discover opportunities they may never have considered.
“Programs like Try Para Sport give people the chance to try different sports, meet athletes and coaches, and realise there is a pathway for them. That first experience can change
everything.”
Disability Sports Australia CEO Ayden Shaw said the events are designed to make Para sport accessible for people at all stages of their sporting journey.
“Bupa Try Para Sport is about creating welcoming environments where people with disability can explore sport without pressure,” Shaw said.
“For some participants it’s their first experience with Para sport. For others it may be the moment they discover a Para sport they want to pursue seriously.
Either way, the goal is to help people connect with local grassroots opportunities and communities that support them.
The program comes at a time when participation gaps remain significant. According to the Australian Sports Commission’s AusPlay data, only 14% of people with disability participate in sport weekly, compared with around 30% of people without disability.
Research from Paralympics Australia also shows 75% of people with disability want to play sport but feel there are limited opportunities to do so.
The 2026 Bupa Try Para Sport Series will begin in Darwin and the Gold Coast on 28th – 29th March, before travelling to Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Adelaide, Hobart, Brisbane and Wollongong.
Participants aged 10 years and above will have the opportunity to try a range of sports including:
• Wheelchair rugby
• Para rowing
• Wheelchair tennis
• Para athletics
People with disability interested in participating can register for their local event at:
https://collections.humanitix.com/bupa-try-para-sport-series-2026
Media contact:
Susie Robinson
2045 Agency
0403 780 000
or
Ayden Shaw
CEO
Disability Sports Australia
About Disability Sports Australia:
Disability Sports Australia (DSA) is a national non-profit, registered charity, and National Sporting Organisation for people with disability, dedicated to increasing participation in grassroots sport.
For over 60 years, DSA has been at the forefront of disability sport in Australia, starting with wheelchair sports and continually expanding opportunities for people with disability across the country. Today, DSA is disability-agnostic, focusing on building the capability of sports organisations to ensure inclusive and accessible opportunities for people with disability.
Our goal is to raise awareness of the positive impact sport can have, remove barriers to participation, and build a future where sport is inclusive for all Australians.
About Bupa Asia Pacific
Bupa is an international healthcare group which has been committed to a purpose of helping people live longer, healthier, happier lives and making a better world for more than 75 years. Bupa Asia Pacific operates in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong, supporting about 8.2 million customers through a broad range of health and care services including health insurance, aged care, dental, medical, optical and hearing services. Employing more than 22,000 people in the region, Bupa believes it can make a real difference to the lives of customers through its values, purpose and the way it delivers personalised care. Over the past 20 years Bupa has invested more than AUD$40 million in partnerships and programs focused on improving the health of communities across Australia.
