Australia's Paralympians ready for the London games

Athletes selected as part of the Australian team for the upcoming Paralympics Games in London were announced today at a ceremony at Parliament House in Canberra.

The athletes will be joined by 140 officials in the largest Australian team ever to be selected to represent Australia in the Paralympics.

Federal Minister for Sport, Kate Lundy congratulated the 161 athletes that will soon travel to London to represent Australia at the Games, stating "our Paralympians have all demonstrated remarkable drive, determination and tenacity to reach the peak of their sport so they can represent Australia on the international stage.

"Every four years the Paralympics showcase Australia's tremendous sporting talent and I am confident our athletes will shine in London and continue Australia's record of sporting success."

Federal Minister for Disability Reform, Jenny Macklin said Australia is very proud to have such dedicated and passionate athletes who are ready and focused to give their very best in the coming months, adding "I know how hard they have all worked over the years, training and dedicating so much of their time to excel in their chosen sports.

"With more than 4,200 athletes from 165 countries competing in this year's Paralympics, we know they will make us proud."

In 2011-12, the Federal Government provided more than $13.5 million to the Australian Paralympic Committee (APC), as well as more than $2.7 million in Direct Athlete Support to Australia's Paralympic athletes.

Since the Beijing Paralympic Games, the Government has provided almost $45 million to the APC to support Paralympic sport in Australia.

This support includes funding for sports programs for the 2012 Australian Paralympic Team, classification, education, broadcasting and other key initiatives as well as servicing and support through the Australian Institute of Sport.

To promote the values and ideals of the Paralympic Games to young Australians, the Australian Government launched the Prime Minister's Paralympic Challenge earlier this year.

The program gives young people the opportunity to try a range of Paralympic sports and recognises the crucial role our Paralympians play in motivating Australia's children to get out and be active. The Challenge commenced in May and will run until the Paralympic closing ceremony in September.

The 2012 London Paralympic Games will be the largest ever held with more countries and competitors than ever taking part in London from 29th August until 9th September 2012.

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