I’m Kayne Kellett, a 17-year-old para athlete and long jumper from Townsville, North Queensland. I compete in the T/F37 classification with right-side hemiplegia as a result of an in-utero stroke, and sport has become a huge part of who I am.

Over the past few years, I’ve been proud to break multiple Australian records across long jump, 200m and javelin, including the U15, U17 and U20 long jump records. I’ve also had the opportunity to compete successfully at both junior and Open level, experiences that have motivated me to keep pushing myself and see how far I can take my athletics.

I know I’m still only at the beginning of my journey. There is a lot more for me to learn, improve and experience, and that’s what excites me most about what lies ahead.

My dream is to represent Australia on the world stage, wear the green and gold and, ultimately, compete at the Paralympic Games. There are plenty of steps between where I am now and that dream, and I’m focused on taking them one at a time.

Over the next year, I’ll be working towards opportunities to represent Australia internationally while continuing to improve my performances and gain experience competing against some of the best para athletes in the country.

Living in North Queensland adds another challenge to that journey. Once our local competition season finishes, I need to travel interstate to access higher-level competitions. Flights, accommodation, competition entries and other travel expenses quickly add up, alongside the ongoing costs of coaching, training and recovery.

That’s what I’m raising funds for.

Every contribution helps give me the opportunity to travel, compete and continue developing as an athlete. It means I can keep putting myself in the competitions I need to be in and focus on performing at my best.

I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported me, donated, shared my story or followed my journey so far. Every bit of support helps me take another step towards something I’ve dreamed about for a long time.

Thank you for being part of my journey towards representing Australia. 💚💛