‘I felt I didn’t belong’: Para athletes speak out on elite sport’s hidden hurdles

When Paralympic champion Nikki Ayers stepped away from

When Paralympic champion Nikki Ayers stepped away from rowing, she carried a heavy sense of not being valued. That feeling of being undervalued, she says, is not an isolated experience. Across Australian elite sport, disabled athletes are increasingly voicing concerns about systemic discrimination and early burnout, driven by chronic underfunding and insufficient support structures.

Ayers, who won gold in the mixed double sculls at the Tokyo Games, recalls the emotional toll of constant battles for basic resources—from training facilities to travel arrangements. “You start to doubt whether you’re worth the investment,” she said in an interview. Her story echoes a broader pattern identified in a recent ABC Sport investigation, which heard from dozens of current and former para-athletes.

Many athletes described a stark contrast between the public celebration of Paralympic success and the day-to-day reality of scraping for sponsorship and access. Unlike their able-bodied counterparts, they often face extra costs for specialized equipment and support staff, yet receive a fraction of the funding. One athlete noted, “We’re told to be grateful for what we get, but that’s not how you build excellence.”

The mental health impact is significant. Several athlete…

The mental health impact is significant. Several athletes reported anxiety and depression linked to financial insecurity and a perceived lack of institutional belief in their potential. The constant strain, they say, leads to premature exits from sport—not because of physical limits, but because the system wears them down.

In response, Paralympics Australia points to recent increases in high-performance funding and initiatives aimed at improving athlete well-being. But critics argue these measures are too little, too late. They call for a fundamental shift in how para-sport is resourced, from grassroots to podium, with athletes involved in decision-making.

For Ayers, the path forward is clear: “We need to stop seeing disability as a disadvantage to be overcome, and start seeing it as part of the sport’s strength.” Until that changes, she fears many more talented athletes will walk away, feeling they were never truly given a chance.