Australian Paralympic Committee

At the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC), they help Australians with disabilities participate in sport and compete at the Paralympic Games through partnerships with governments, business, sporting bodies and the community. They are responsible for preparing the Australian Paralympic Summer and Winter Teams for the Paralympic Games, which they have done successfully since 1990. At the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Australia  placed fifth on the gold medal tally with 22 gold, 30 silver and 29 bronze medals out of 159 countries. They work with their National Federation partners to help identify potential Paralympians and assist athletes to prepare for competition by providing funding for coaching, equipment and travel in the lead up to the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. Their partnerships with governments, business, national sporting organisations and disability groups are critical to delivering a successful Paralympic Team to the Games. They believe participation in sport provides positive social and physical benefits to people with disabilities, and plays an important role in changing community perceptions of people with disabilities. At the heart of what they do is their athletes, who strive to compete at an elite level, upholding the ideals of the Paralympic movement. The APC undertakes a number of activities to assist Paralympic athletes. These include: -Team preparation –preparation of Australian teams for Summer Paralympics and Winter Paralympics -Sports programs –APC manages five sports programs (boccia, goalball, powerlifting, wheelchair rugby and winter sports) -Classification –APC provides Australian athletes with a disability with access to classification by a trained classifier at all levels of their development. -Paralympic Talent Search –identification of people with a disability who may have the ability to participate at the Paralympic Games. -Paralympic Education Program –a national program to educate Australian school children on Paralympic athletes and sport. -Paralympic Speakers Program –Paralympians visit businesses, schools and other workplaces to demonstrate the importance of workplace safety.