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Aspiring Para-swimmer Eli Kerr is determined to become an Australian Paralympic representative. However, when he met one of his heroes, dual Paralympian Col Pearse, a simple message led Eli to consider the overall value of sport in his life.
“Col told me how important it was to keep enjoying my swimming,” the 12-year-old said.
“That made me think about all the ways Para-sport has made my life better. It’s given me a can-do mindset and taught me that anything in life is possible. I just have to work a bit harder than others sometimes to get there.”
As Paralympics Australia launches its End of Year Appeal, raising funds to support Australia’s current and future Paralympians, we look at Eli’s story which exemplifies the resilience and determination – as well as the support network – required for athletes with a disability to gain the unique benefits of participating in sport.
As a registered charity, Paralympics Australia relies on donations from generous individuals and corporate Australia to support aspiring Paralympians like Eli. A donation to Paralympics Australia’s End of Year Appeal could help uncover the next Paralympic star and support Para-athletes as they strive to reach their potential.
Since getting involved in competitive swimming, Eli is committed to becoming the best athlete he can be. He has always been a sporty kid, riding bikes, fishing and kicking a footy with his brothers on the family’s dairy farm in regional Victoria. But his condition – absent ulna club hand – made it challenging to get involved in more organised sport.
“His humerus and radius are fused together on his right arm,” Eli’s mum Nicole explained.
“That means he has no elbow on that arm and only two fingers on that hand.”
Occupational therapists told Nicole that swimming would help with Eli’s growth and muscle strength. At age nine, Eli became a member of the Warrnambool Swimming Club’s Squad Team and was later connected to the South West Academy of Sport, a Victorian Regional Academies of Sport initiative, part funded by Paralympics Australia.
The Academy, one of several around Australia supported by Paralympics Australia, has helped Eli’s family with individual training, educational and travel support.
“Twice a week he gets up at 4:30 to get to the pool in Warrnambool for 5:40,” Nicole said.
“Then he trains for two hours, eats breakfast in the car, then goes to school for the day. For competitions, like the State Championships coming up, there’s five days of competition, so five nights of accommodation for us. While we’re away, we have to employ someone to do my job on the farm.”
Then there’s all the equipment Eli needs.
“Racing suits, flippers, kickboards, swim pulls and paddles. That isn’t cheap to cover, especially when it comes on top of all the travel costs,” Nicole said.
“Paralympics Australia has been able to provide some funding support with that, which has been a huge help.”
Through the incredible support of his family, Paralympics Australia and the many donors who help enable sport participation for people with a disability, Eli has started reaping the benefits. Earlier this year he won a silver medal in the 100 metres backstroke and bronze in the 100 metres freestyle and butterfly events at the Australian Championships.
“It was definitely surprising,” Eli said. “I wasn’t really expecting it because I was competing in a 12 to 13 age group, and I was still 12 at the time.
“My short-term goal is to win at the Nationals. But my long-term goal is to hold world records and get medals at the Paralympics, first in Los Angeles in 2028, then in Brisbane in 2032.”
Whether or not Eli reaches his goal, it’s clear that access to Para-sport has had a positive impact on his life.
“It’s given him confidence, resilience and something to strive for,” Nicole said. “He’s learned how to do a hell of a lot on his own and I put that down to what he’s achieved through sport.”
As a registered charity, Paralympics Australia relies on donations to help sporting dreams come true. By donating to Paralympics Australia’s End of Year Appeal, you could help uncover the next Paralympic star and support Para-athletes as they strive to reach their full potential.
Head to: https://fundraise.paralympic.org.au/2024-xmas-appeal-digi
By David Sygall, Paralympics Australia.
Published 4 December, 2024.
