Perth Para DanceSport Team to International Competition

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Para and Ability Dance WA is a charity supporting dancers living with disabilities. We have a team of eight Para Dancers who need assistance competing at World AbilitySports events in 2025. Three of our Para Dance couples recently returned from the 2023 Australian DanceSport Championship, where they achieved outstanding results and garnered significant respect from the audience for their skill and artistry. Notably, two of these couples became the first Australian Para Dancers to compete at an International Paralympic Committee competition in 2023, marking them the first-ever Australian Para Dance Paralympic Athletes. Para Dance is a relatively new adaptive sport in Australia, catering to wheelchair users within the Paralympic movement. It is one of only two Paralympic sports without an Olympic counterpart. The journey of Para Dance in Australia began in 2018 with a “come-and-try” day. Before discovering Para Dance, many of our participants had limited opportunities to engage in sports due to the lack of creative sports options available in the country. Despite their disabilities, our dancers have always had a deep passion and love for sport, and Para Dance has provided them with a vital outlet for expression. Many of our Para Dancers began competing in 2018, participating in monthly local DanceSport competitions and the annual Australian DanceSport Championship. Competing at international Para Sports competitions has been a lifelong goal for our dancers, and reaching this milestone demonstrates their skill and expertise on a global stage. The significance of having Australian Para Dancers at International Para Dance competitions cannot be overstated, as it showcases the abilities of wheelchair users to succeed through sport, challenging societal perceptions of disability. Para and Ability Dance WA is immensely proud to support our Para Dancers in their international ambitions. Looking ahead to the 2025 World Para Dance Sport Championship, we recognise the looming financial demands for the next two years and seek assistance. Success in October would qualify our dancers for the 2025 World Dance Sport Championship, representing a critical step forward for the sport in Australia. Para Dance lacks significant government funding as it is not yet included in the Paralympics. As with athletes from any sport, our Para Dancers rely on sponsorship to help achieve their performance goals. They are seeking generosity to enable them to compete for Australia at the pinnacle of their sport.