Will
Howard

Rising star Will Howard is on track to represent Australia at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, after bursting onto the world stage in 2017 at the World Para-athletics Junior Championships in Nottwil, Switzerland.

Will, who first began competing in 2012, was introduced to Para-sport through his school. In fact, talent and hard work aside, the support of his school – particularly its gardener, who Will knows only as Spud – is one of the reasons why he has propelled to the top of the T37 world rankings so quickly.

Spud used to drive alongside Will as he ran, and later helped him to build his own track. The result? A bronze medal from the junior World Championships.

Then came the 2018 Australian Athletics Championships. There, Will placed second and third in the men’s 800m ambulant and men’s 1500m ambulant, shaving six and 23 seconds respectively off his personal bests. Even after missing the 2019 World Para-athletics Championships last November, Will holds a world ranking of third over 1500m. This is the stuff of dreams for the kid from Springsure.

For nearly a decade, Will has imagined what it might be like to represent Australia at the Paralympic Games and win a Paralympic medal. But this is all part of a far bigger picture. Ultimately, Will wants to inspire everyone “back home” – to show them that who you are, or where you come from, are not barriers to becoming the best in the world.

Off the track, Will enjoys horse riding, motorcycling and waterskiing.