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Paralympian Katie Kelly brings sports programs for Indigenous girls to her hometown

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Former Casino resident and retired paralympian Katie Kelly is bringing sporting grants to Casino from the Sports Access Foundation she set up.

Katie is one of Australia’s most distinguished para-triathletes. Weeks after she was declared legally blind, Katie made her international debut in a para-triathlon event on the Sunshine Coast. She went on to win Australia’s first medal at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.

Katie Kelly
Paralympian Katie Kelly competing in a para-triathlon. Photo: Contributed

The Sports Access Foundation she started provides annual grants for children and young people with a disability. These grants are used to build participation in sport.

Casino RSM is supporting the foundation with the First Nations Bundjalung Girls Grants with $6,000 in grant funding.

These funds will go towards two programs to make it easier for young Indigenous girls in Bunjalung country to access sport.

They are:

Indigenous Basketball Association $5,000 awarded

IBA is a not-for-profit organisation that delivers programs at the grassroots level for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people so they have a better chance to advance in the sport. The grant will deliver a basketball clinic in Casino with the aim of at least 50% indigenous girls participating. Local indigenous leaders will be involved in helping deliver the program.

Casino Fun Run $1,000 awarded

These funds will assist with entry fees and costs for indigenous youth to participate in next year’s event.

“With the investment in sport for young indigenous girls and teenagers being some of the lowest rates across all Australians, I was eager for our young First Nations girls and teenagers to have new opportunities – starting with the region of my hometown of Casino, part of Bundjalung Country,” Katie said.

Casino RSM secretary manager Neale Genge said sport provided a wonderful means to forge closer ties and bonds with First Nations people and improve participation at a local level.

Find out more by emailing Info@sportaccessfoundation.org.au or go to the Sport Access Foundation website here.

Katie Kelly
Katie Kelly on the left with her medal. Photo: Contributed

This article appeared on indyNR.com on 7 December 2021.

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