The school competition that changed everything: Jamieson Leeson's story

Every Para athlete has a different story.

Through our partnership with Paralympics Australia, we're sharing a series of athlete stories that showcase the many different pathways into sport. Some discovered their sport as children, others found it later in life. What connects them is a love of sport and a willingness to keep showing up, even when the path isn't straightforward.

In this article, we're spotlighting Jamieson Leeson and her journey.

ATHLETE: Jamieson Leeson

SPORT: Boccia

PROUDEST MOMENT: Winning gold in the pairs and silver in the individual event at the Rio World Championships in 2022 – her first-ever individual medal.

WORDS OF WISDOM: “Never give up.” It’s relevant in sport, and relevant in everything that you do."

 

Growing up in the remote NSW town of Dunedoo, opportunities to participate in sport in Jamieson’s earlier years were few and far between. Then she was invited to attend a schools competition in 2017, where one of the coaches saw her potential in the sport.

When Jamieson started working with coach Ken Halliday in 2018, the goal was Paris 2024. Tokyo was a mere two years away, and Jamieson had only just begun competing. As it turned out, Jamieson competed in Tokyo before going on to represent Australia again at Paris 2024, where she won a silver medal in the Women's Individual BC3 event, becoming the first Australian woman to win a Paralympic boccia medal. Her silver medal, coupled with Daniel Michel's silver later the same day, marked the most successful Paralympic result in Australian boccia history.

Jamieson credits the Tokyo Games as a pivotal moment in her career. Not only did she compete, but those Games also marked changes to the boccia rules including splitting the Singles events into gendered categories. This has made the previously male-dominated sport more accessible to female athletes, helping drive much more opportunity and improvement in the female classification leading up to Paris 2024.

While boccia has many adaptive options, access to the sport itself was a huge hurdle for Jamieson to overcome in those early days. The boccia club she trained with in Sydney was a six-hour trip each way, so the flip to 'committed athlete’ was logistically challenging at first. A BC3 classified athlete, Jamieson utilises a ramp and a ramp operator, as well as a hand pointer to reach and push the balls off and down the ramp.

Preparation for Paris was a gradual process, with more time dedicated to training in the high-performance environment ahead of her second Paralympic Games. Jamieson’s mindset going into a tournament, even one as big as the Paralympic Games, is just to take it game by game and enjoy being in the moment.

Her advice to those looking to start their sports journey is to just try everything. “Taking every opportunity that comes your way is so, so important… you don’t know what something’s going to do for you until you give it a shot.”

This article is part of NDSP's partnership with Paralympics Australia, helping more Australians learn about Para sport and discover opportunities to get involved.

If you'd like to read more athlete stories, learn about the history of the Paralympic movement and explore pathways into Para sport, download our free ebook Get Active, Stay Involved

Together with Paralympics Australia, we want to help make Para sport more visible and easier to explore for people across Australia.