Goalball player receives inaugural AIS and AUSF Sports Scholarship

Goalball player Isaiah Muller dreams of representing Australia at the Paralympics with a new scholarship helping him balance high performance sport and study.

Muller, who is blind after being diagnosed with retinoblastoma at just 18 months old, is the inaugural recipient of an Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and Adelaide University Sport and Fitness (AUSF) Sports Scholarship.

The scholarship, opens in a new tab supports elite athletes and coaches to balance high performance sport and education, offering $5,000 per year for up to three years to study at The University of Adelaide.

Muller, who is studying a Bachelor of Arts majoring in creative writing and minoring in psychology, will use the financial support to help manage the cost of education, training, and international travel as he continues to represent Australia in goalball.

Not only will this help lay the foundations for success beyond sport, but it also enables him to commit to his ambition of qualifying for the LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games.

“There are so many overlaps between sport and study - resilience, commitment, setting goals,” he says.

“And studying psychology helps with my personal development as an athlete, too.”

Muller found his place in goalball at the age of 10 — a Paralympic sport designed for athletes with a vision impairment. All players wear blackout eye shades to ensure a level playing field, relying on sound and spatial awareness to compete.

“Sport gave me a space where I could be myself and not be defined by my disability,” he shares. “Now, I want to help create those same opportunities for others.”

The support aligns with Australia’s High Performance 2032+ Sport Strategy (Win Well Strategy), backing the development of world-class talent not just in high performance sport, but in life beyond it.