The customised equipment helping our Paralympians go for gold
For many Paralympians, the equipment they use plays a crucial role in their performance – it’s what enables them to compete and push boundaries in their sport at the elite level.
30 August 2024
For many Paralympians, the equipment they use plays a crucial role in their performance – it’s what enables them to compete and push boundaries in their sport at the elite level.
AIS Engineering worked with Madison de Rozario to customise her race chair ahead of the Paris Paralympics.
Recognising this, AIS Engineering worked with several sports in the lead-up to the Paris Games, completing a record 153 customised equipment projects to ensure our Paralympians are competing with top-notch gear suited to their needs.
For wheelchair racer Madison de Rozario this involved developing customised knee supports and lightweight titanium axles for her race chair to help her defend her medal-winning performances at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.
Made with ultra-lightweight carbon fibre, the knee supports place de Rozario in the optimal position for power delivery to the push-rims while custom-fitted gloves help her get the most out of each push.
Fellow wheelchair racer and four-time Paralympian Sam McIntosh has also benefitted from custom knee cushions and adaptations to his wheelchair ahead of Paris.
“Hugely grateful for all the amazing work the team at the AIS Engineering department do to keep me rolling as fast as possible,” McIntosh said in a recent Instagram post, opens in a new tab about his chair.
To support our para triathletes and para cyclists, the AIS Engineering team worked on creating wider, tubeless wheels and moulded pedals on hand bikes to maximise performance on Paris’ cobblestone streets.
Para triathlete Nic Beveridge worked with AIS Engineering to make modifications to his hand bike.
Over on the courts, core members of the Aussie Steelers team (wheelchair rugby) have been equipped with custom-made wheelchairs, thanks to the Australian Sports Commission’s (ASC) Paris Preparation Fund.
And in true win well spirit, any athlete who received a new chair donated their old equipment to another athlete.
AIS engineers also worked with Paralympics Australia and Basketball Australia to build custom wheelchair seats for the Aussie Rollers to increase speed, agility and support for certain athletes.
The seats feature carbon-fibre material, the same material used in Formula 1 race cars, and are designed to mould to an individual’s body so that when the athlete turns, the chair turns.
Supporting sports with customised technology and equipment is an ongoing project at the AIS, driven by the commitment to implement world-leading knowledge, innovation and practice to give our Paralympians and Olympians a competitive edge.
Find out more about the work of AIS Engineering or read about the AIS technology that supported our Olympians in Paris.
