We are looking forward to watching Australia’s rising stars who are heading to the games for the first time. 50% of our athletes will be making their games debut this year.
There’s something special about watching people’s dreams come true, especially knowing the years of hard work and determination that have made it happen.
Here are some Australians competing for the first time this year that we are very excited to watch:
Bradley Woodward
Growing up on the Central Coast NSW, Bradley Woodward is off to his first games to represent his country in swimming. Brad has been swimming since he was 10 months old and making the team has been a life-long dream. Brad booked his ticket to Paris at the Australian trials, winning the men’s 200m backstroke final with a time of 1:56.22. He finished second in the 100m backstroke. CLICK HERE to learn more about Brad and view his event schedule.
Alexa Leary
Alexa Leary will be competing in the Para-Swimming. After a cycling accident on the Sunshine Coast in July 2021 resulted in major brain damage, blood clots and several broken bones, Alexa’s world changed! Alexa’s recovery captured the hearts of Australians through her “Move For Lex” social media. Just three years later, she qualified!! CLICK HERE to learn more about Lex.
Torrie Lewis
Torrie Lewis is Australia’s fastest woman at just 19 years old. Torrie’s sporting journey began with gymnastics as her focus, switching to athletics as her main sporting focus at 11 years old. After a hamstring injury in 2022, Torrie has changed her training to include more gym strength sessions and is entering the games as a superstar in world athletics. Torrie will be running in the 200m and 4x100m relay in Paris. CLICK HERE to learn more about Torrie.
Alex de Minaur
Tennis star Alex de Minaur has been one to watch on the court for a while… He started playing tennis at 3 years old and is now 25 years old. Earlier this year Alex became the first Australian man to hold a top ten ranking in 17 years! Alex’s world ranking meant he automatically qualified for the 2024 games as the top seed for Australia. CLICK HERE to learn more about Alex.
Abby Caldwell
At just 23 years old, Abby is one of Australia’s best middle-distance runners! Abby will be competing in the 800m in Paris. She has been enjoying athletics since she was 5 years old and had a very strong 2024 domestic season, scoring second place at Nationals in the 800m and securing her ticket to Paris. CLICK HERE to read more about Abby.
Wishing all our Australian athletes the best of luck for Paris, from all of us here at The Westport Club.