Australia’s youthful team for the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships is a hub of energy and nerves ahead of the opening day of competition in New Delhi, but steering the ship are seasoned sailors Vanessa Low, Chad Perris, Rhiannon Clarke and Jaryd Clifford.
With 24 debutants from 49 athletes announced in July for the New Delhi championships, the work began in fast-tracking the nation’s emerging Para-athletes in their preparation for the world stage.
For many, this meant acquiring a passport for their first overseas adventure which would take them to Dubai for a staging camp en route to New Delhi – the team embracing the the long-haul travel, unrelenting heat and foreign environments.
That process has only been aided by the appointment of four team leaders as voted by their teammates whose accolades speak for themselves, but putting their global credentials aside have largely been a sounding board for the inevitable challenges that arise during a global debut.
For Perris who is gearing up for his sixth World Para Athletics Championships, the honour of being a team leader is far from a formality – with the White Tiger impressed by the conduct of the team which will form the core of Australia’s Paralympic hopes on the road to Brisbane 2032.
“Every team is different and it’s a unique experience to be able to come here and join a team with a lot of fresh faces, but also a lot of experience from our older guys,” Perris said.
“There’s a lot going on in New Delhi. Everyone is managing really well and we have prepared for these moments, so I’m excited to see what this young team can do over the next few years and heading towards LA 2028.”
At 23-years-old, Clarke has already established herself as a leader on the Australian athletics scene, encouraged by the support she received from senior athletes when she wore the green and gold for the first time at the 2018 Commonwealth Games at 15-years-old.
“I want to be like the athletes that I looked up to when I first started competing, because they helped me discover who I am and navigate the world of being an international athlete,” Clarke said.
“I’m excited to see all the up-and-coming athletes represent Australia for the first time, and to demonstrate what they can do. I’m younger than some of the debutants but it’s good to know that I can be a positive influence on them.”
Three-time Paralympic champion Low needs no introduction as one of the nation’s most dominant athletics stars and a leader on and off the track, while Clifford has also long been one of the key voices pushing the Paralympic movement down under.
“This team is super exciting; it’s the biggest team we have taken in a long time. This is clearly an investment in the future and these are the stars we are going to see in Brisbane 2032. It’s a pretty infectious atmosphere,” Clifford said.
His comments were echoed by Low who is chasing her first back-to-back world title:
“We now need to put in the seeds and these opportunities allow us to bring the youngsters along and get a really great team culture going, and make sure everyone is supported.”
The 2025 World Para Athletics Championships will be held in New Delhi, India from September 27 – October 5. Australian viewers can tune in live and free via the Paralympic Games YouTube channel.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 26/09/2025
