Paris-bound Paralympian and World Cup winner Jamieson Leeson will be on hand as 48 schools shoot it out to become state champions at the NSW Primary and Secondary Boccia Championships at Sydney's Olympic Park on Tuesday and Wednesday,13-14 August.
The teams were whittled down from 470 schools in NSW where an estimated 3400 competitors took part – making the tournament the biggest of its type anywhere in the world.
Now in its 11th year, after starting as a humble competition for 40 NSW public schools, boccia is the sport of choice for participants with a range of physical disabilities.
It has elements of bocce, bowls and pétanque with the goal of getting the balls closer to the jack than the opposition and caters for students with physical, hearing, vision, intellectual disability as well as transplant recipients.
The NSW public schools competition has been a springboard for students to move into the international boccia scene, with Jamieson Leeson (Dunedoo Central School) Dan Michel (Heathcote High School) and Spencer Cotie (Killarney Heights High School) all beginning their boccia careers in the School Sport Unit event.
Jamieson and Dan have gone on to win gold in three World Cup Pairs Championships and will be amongst the favourites in Paris.
Jamieson will be in attendance for the secondary schools event on Wednesday between 10:00am and 2:00pm.
School Sport Unit Disability Inclusion Officer Peter Cardy said the competition would reach an exciting conclusion at Sydney Olympic Park.
"Schools are coming from around the state to be involved in the final stage of competition, it really is amazing just how popular this sport is," he said.
"To have an ex-public school student and Paralympian in Jamieson coming along really is the icing on the cake.
"It shows that boccia is not only a fantastic, inclusive sport but also one that can be competed in at the highest level internationally".
Participating schools
(Primary): Arcadia Vale Public School, Bathurst West Public School, Blackett Public School, Douglas Park Public School, Earlwood Public School, Irrawang Public School, Lake Munmorah Public School, Mannering Park Public School, Milperra Public School, Mount Terry Public School, Nowra Public School, Oran Park Public School, Parkes Public School, Parkview Public School, Pelican Flat Public School, Port Macquarie Public School, Queanbeyan Public School, Quirindi Public School, Sir Eric Woodward School, Thornton Public School, Urunga Public School, Wentworth Public School, Woodburn, Public School, Yates Avenue Public School.
(Secondary): Brisbane Water Secondary College Woy Woy, Broken Hill High School, Bulli High School, Camden High School, Casino High School, Dubbo College Delroy Campus, Endeavour Sports High School, Erskine Park High School, Fairvale High School, Francis Greenway High School, Goulburn High School, Katoomba High School, Kempsey High School, Kotara High School, Mount Annan High School, Narooma High School, Northern Beaches Secondary College Cromer, Oxley High School, St Clair High School, Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay, The Henry Lawson High School, Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College Berkeley Vale, Wagga Wagga High School, Warners Bay High School.
Media is invited to the secondary schools event on Wednesday 14 August from 12:00pm at The Quay Centre, Sydney Olympics Park, for footage and interviews. Jamieson Leeson will be available to chat ahead of her Paralympics journey.
