Sporting Grants
Sunday, August 9, 2026
This year’s panel brings together a strong mix of lived experience, sector expertise and sporting leadership, with Carlee Beattie PLY, Emma Beckman, and Chris Anderson joining the Independent Panel to help assess and guide this year’s grant selections. Their knowledge and commitment will play an important role in supporting funding opportunities that help children with disability access sport and recreation.
Sport Access Foundation greatly values the contribution of its Independent Panel members, whose insight and expertise help ensure grant decisions are fair, informed and reflective of the needs of children with disability and their families. Over the years, the panel has included respected contributors such as Dani di Toro PLY, Fran Kelly, and many other valued community and sporting leaders.
Sport Access Foundation has continued to grow over the past decade thanks to the dedication of many people across the community.
“I’m incredibly excited to welcome our 2026 Independent Panel Members as we celebrate Sport Access Foundation’s 10th year,” said Katie Kelly. “We are so grateful for the contributions our panel members make to our grant selections, and I’m always thankful for the many people who help ensure Sport Access Foundation continues to thrive for children with disability.”
Carlee Beattie is a three-time Paralympian and World Champion who competed at three World Championships over the course of her career. She began on the international stage in Beijing, competing in the women's 100m T46 and 200m T46.
Carlee then broke the World Record in her signature event, the T46 Long Jump, at the 2011 World Championships — a record that stood for 12 years, until 2023. When the T46 Long Jump was added to the Paralympic program, Carlee competed at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and won Silver. Her next major milestone came in 2015, winning Gold in the T47 Long Jump at the World Championships in Doha, before claiming Bronze in the same event at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. She closed out her athletics career with two Paralympic medals, a World Championship title, and a World Record that held for over a decade.
Carlee's sporting journey began as a 12-year-old fromWarwick, QLD. Since retiring from competition, she has built a career in elite sport administration, with roles at the Queensland Academy of Sport, the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, and now within the Queensland Government's Olympic and Paralympic Games office.
"As a Paralympian, I know first hand what young athletes with disability often face with the additional barriers to participate in sport, from the cost of specialised equipment to the travel required to access training and competition opportunities. Sport Access Foundation plays a vital role in removing those barriers and giving young Australians with disability every opportunity to pursue their sporting goals and realise their potential."
Dr. Emma Beckman is an academic at the University of Queensland and a parasport expert connected to Queensland’s high-performance system. Her experience includes classification, athlete development and para sport pathways, making her a valuable contributor to the panel.
Emma has worked with some of the world’s best Para athletes across sports including athletics and wheelchair rugby. Through her work in academia and the sports industry, she combines research with practical experience in identifying, developing and supporting Para athletes, particularly athletes with high support needs. Emma believes in the power of sport for people with disability and is committed to contributing to the Paralympic movement internationally, while also focusing on developing Australian Para athletes on the road to Brisbane 2032.
“Sport Access Foundation is an all-important first step for many athletes with disability who need that support to achieve their sporting goals. I’m excited to be part of such an important process.”
Chris Anderson is a premiership-winning rugby league coach and former player who represented the Bulldogs, Australia and New South Wales. He later coached Canterbury Bulldogs and Melbourne Storm to premiership success, and brings strong elite sport leadership and coaching experience to the panel.
Chris said, “Watching the Australian Steelers Rugby Team win the gold medal match against the USA in Rio was one of the greatest sporting victories, with the game going into double overtime – and ‘Bondy’ (Chris Bond) scoring the the decisive goals to win 59-58. Sport Access Foundation helps us find more young 'Bondy’s' and ensure our young Aussies with disability can play the sport they love
Grants closed August 7th, and we hope to announce the grant recipients by late October.
Get Involved
Your donation will go towards providing financial assistance and support to enable children with a disability to participate in sporting activities. Every dollar goes direct to the grant recipients to help with the cost of their sport, including modified equipment, carer costs, transport and fees.
