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If there’s one thing Ben Wright wishes he could say to his younger self, it’s that the journey isn’t always going to be a straight line.
Wright’s path certainly hasn’t been. In the decade since the man nicknamed ‘The Hobbit’ first represented Australia in Para-powerlifting, he’s won three national championships, broken regional records and contested three consecutive Commonwealth Games. At the Gold Coast 2018 Games, he bravely competed just 10 weeks after a seizure had caused him a broken back in four places. At Birmingham 2022, he came fourth with a national and Oceania record lift of 190kg, more than twice his bodyweight.
Yet, for all his achievements and the respect he’s accrued, the Paralympic Games has eluded him.
That could be about to change. Wright is one of five Australian Para-powerlifters selected to compete at the World Championships in Dubai, starting on August 22. It’s one of the events athletes must attend to be in the running to qualify for Paris 2024.
Parry Mouhtaris and Patricia Wallace will compete in the Legend +45 years class, Paul Tesoriero makes his comeback to international competition and Paris 2024 Long List athletes Hani Watson – a bronze medallist at Birmingham 2022 – and Wright complete the team.
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“It’s the next step on the road to Paris,” Wright said. “This event will give me the best look to see where the qualification standard will be.
“Obviously our World Championships is a big event but it’s also big because if you want to be included in the [Paralympics] pathway you have to attend World Champs. It means there’s usually upwards of 400 athletes competing, which will give me a window into what the level is for qualification.”
Wright said the championships would indicate whether he stayed in his current weight class or lost weight to move into a lower class.
Just getting to the World Championships is a big commitment for Para-powerlifters, let alone trying to qualify for the Paralympics.
The sport has received no AIS High Performance funding since 2012. Yet, over the four-year cycle, athletes must attend a sanctioned international competition every year, as well as one of the two World Championships in the period just to be eligible for Games selection. Then they need to be ranked in the top eight in the world for their weight class to qualify.
Paralympics Australia subsidises attendance at domestic and international competitions, Commonwealth Games Australia has provided periodical funding and some state institutes of sport provide assistance. Some athletes also have support networks who help with fundraising.
“I am lucky enough that I have a men’s group called the Fraternity Of The Travelling Trousers who have been on board with me for over a decade,” Wright said.
“It’s a group of professional men who wanted to do a little bit better in the community and help people out. They do various activities during the year and they’ve grown to a stage where they’re able to help a number of athletes.
“They give me a bit of money every year, which goes towards my events.”
Wright is aiming for a top 10 finish at the Worlds before competing at two competitions early next year where he can further press his claims to qualify for the Paralympics next year.
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By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 26 July 2023
