Australian teenager Telaya Blacksmith in action in Paris.
Four Aboriginal Australian athletes are going for glory at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games
When Australian runner Telaya Blacksmith arrived in her room at the Paralympic Village in Paris, there was a special parcel waiting for her. The 16-year-old indigenous athlete hails from Lajamanu, a remote outback ‘mob’ or community of 800 people in the Northern Territory, 10 hours drive from Darwin.
School children from the desert township sent Blacksmith drawings and letters of support as she geared up to compete in the 400m T20 and long jump T20 at her first Paralympic Games.
“Some of them said they were going to watch me… they are going to try to do the same thing as me,” she told the IPC.
“I’m very proud of my community and I’m happy that I’m here competing for them.”
It was just one of a series of pinch-yourself moments that the teen track sensation had in the lead-up to Paris.
Blacksmith’s hero former sprinter Cathy Freeman, who won gold in the 400m at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and lit the Olympic cauldron, phoned her to offer some encouragement and advice.
“She’s very proud of me and my achievements,” Blacksmith said, adding that Freeman had invited her for a cup of tea when she returned from Paris.
“I was very nervous and shocked,” she said.
Freeman told her to relax and enjoy the experience: “She said don’t stress… have fun with it”.
Blacksmith, who is a Warlpiri woman, broke the Australian and Oceania records in her heat on Monday night to qualify for the women’s 400m T20 final. She clocked 57.96.
In the final Tuesday, she placed eighth.
Footy mad
As well as a mover and shaker in athletics, she is also handy with an Australian Rules football.
Blacksmith is in a special Sydney Swan’s AFLW academy, and her teammates will be setting their alarm clocks to watch her in action in Paris.
Blacksmith, who has an intellectual disability, said she hopes to juggle football and athletic careers.
“I like (footy) because it’s a team sport… it’s very fun,” she said.
“But I also like athletics and being by yourself competing.”
‘Deadly’ uniforms
Australia’s Paralympic team has four indigenous athletes – Blacksmith, Ruby Storm (Para swimming), Amanda Reid (Para-cycling) and Samantha Schmidt (Para discuss).
Amanda Reid won gold in the women’s C1-3 500m Time Trial Final in Paris
The team has paid homage to indigenous culture with Aboriginal artwork featured on athletes’ uniforms.
“I think it’s pretty bloody deadly, to be honest,” Reid said, using the indigenous slang for fantastic.
The team also had a traditional smoking ceremony at the Paralympic Village and has a “yarn circle” where athletes gather for a chat. The ancient practice was credited with helping to boost Australia’s performance at the Olympics.
Back-to-back gold
Reid, a veteran of four Paralympic Games, successfully defended her Tokyo gold medal in the Para cycling track 500m time trial C1-3.
“That was absolutely amazing considering the last 12-plus months I’ve had,” Reid said referring to a back injury.
“I just came in to go as fast as I could, and this gold medal just means everything. It means it’s all worth it, everything, all the mountains I had to climb to get here.”
She’s also competing in the Para cycling road C1-3 road race and C1-3 individual time trial.
The 27-year-old, who has Cerebral palsy, made her Paralympic debut in London as a swimmer before switching to cycling.
She has also made a foray into another sport and aims to compete at the Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 in Para snowboarding – snowboard-cross and banked slalom events.
“Current world champion in two different sports is not bad,” the Guringai and Wemba Wemba woman said.
Storm warning
In Australia, indigenous people are among the most disadvantaged in the country and face lower life expectancy and education levels, poorer health as well as discrimination.
Storm, who is from the Wiradjuri tribe, said she relishes being a role model and inspiring other indigenous youth to dream big.
Storm won silver in the 4x100m Freestyle Relay S14 and a bronze in the 100m Butterfly – S14 at the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Storm was a member of the Australian mixed 4x100m freestyle relay – S14 team which won a silver medal in Paris.
“The whole team did really well. We came as a team, we just enjoyed it, and had fun. That was the main thing,” she said.
She finished outside the medals in her individual events – the women’s 200m freestyle S14, the 100m breaststroke SB14 and the 100m butterfly S14.
Source: paralympic.org
