National Para Climbing Summit 2026

This October, I had the privilege of being invited by Sport Climbing Australia to contribute to Australia’s first-ever National Para Climbing Summit.

Climbing has given me an enormous amount over the years, both personally and professionally, so it was incredibly meaningful to be part of a national gathering focused on creating better opportunities and pathways for people with disability in our sport.

The summit brought together coaches and practitioners from across Australia, alongside expertise from Sport Climbing Australia, the Australian Institute of Sport and ParaSport Australia, to share knowledge and continue developing para climbing in Australia.

Day one: Understanding Para Climbing

Day one focused heavily on building a deeper understanding of para climbing classifications, the different ways health conditions and impairments can affect climbing, and how coaches can adapt their approach to better support individual athletes.

With people attending from around the country, there was an enormous amount of experience in the room. Much of the value came from sharing ideas, discussing challenges and learning how other coaches and organisations are approaching para climbing in their own communities.

It was a great opportunity to deepen my own understanding while also contributing some of the knowledge we have developed through ClimbWell and Oasis in Perth.

Day two: Putting It Into Practice

On the second day, we moved from discussion into practice.

We visited Cliffhanger Climbing Gym to develop our skills in sight-guiding for blind and vision-impaired climbers, putting some of the concepts from the previous day into a practical climbing environment.

We then headed to Urban Climb, where we had the opportunity to meet and learn from members of the Australian para climbing team.

Hearing directly from athletes was particularly valuable. It helped connect the clinical and coaching knowledge from the weekend with the lived experience of athletes themselves and the pathways available for climbers who want to develop, compete and potentially progress into high-performance para climbing.

The weekend has significantly deepened my understanding of para climbing, not only from a health and disability perspective, but also from an athlete development and performance pathway perspective.

A huge thank you to Sport Climbing Australia for bringing everyone together, and to the coaches, practitioners and athletes from around Australia who shared their knowledge and experience so generously.

Para Climbing and Disability-Inclusive Climbing in Perth

One of the things I am most excited about is bringing this knowledge back to Western Australia.

Through  ClimbWell and Oasis Climbing, we have been supporting children, young people and adults with disability to access climbing for many years.

Our programs combine climbing, coaching and Exercise Physiology to help people develop physical capacity, confidence, independence and climbing skills in an environment where they can challenge themselves at their own level.

For some people, climbing is recreation, exercise or an opportunity to participate in a community. For others, it can become a sport they want to pursue and develop within.

An important part of what I have taken away from the National Para Climbing Summit is a better understanding of how we can support *both*.

We want Oasis to be a place where someone can discover climbing for the first time, develop their skills and confidence, become part of the climbing community and, where appropriate, explore pathways into para climbing and competition.

We also proudly work alongside with All Abilities Climbing WA, helping create more opportunities for people with disability to experience climbing and become part of the wider Western Australian climbing community.

There is plenty more work to do, but I’m incredibly excited about where para climbing is heading in Australia and what we can continue building here in WA.

If you or someone you support is interested in disability-inclusive climbing, para climbing, Exercise Physiology through climbing, or simply finding a supportive way to get started, we would love to hear from you.

See you on the walls soon!