10 Para Athletics athletes and coaches from Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu have been training for classification events ahead of competitions at the end of the week in Darwin.  

Para Powerlifters and their coaches from Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands are attending a camp in Adelaide focused on specialised training sessions, recovery and wellbeing. 

The 15 athletes are all striving to qualify for the Glasgow Games and their participation in the GAPS programme delivering elite training and competition, will further support their drive for podium places. 

At the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, eight GAPS athletes went on to win medals, including Nigeria’s Goodness Nwachukwu who won gold in the Women’s Discus F42 event, setting a new world record in the process. 

The GAPS programme this year has already seen a successful camp in Stellenbosch camps where 49 Para athletes and coaches attended from Africa trained and competed for Glasgow places. In addition, the GAPS assist programme has been running in the Caribbean, successfully supporting athletes through the qualification process for Glasgow 2026.  

The GAPS programme will conclude with an international camp in Ayr, in July, ahead of the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Hosted by the University of the West of Scotland, the camp will bring together new and experienced Para athletes to prepare them the Games the following week. 

Through its network of training camps and partnerships, the GAPS programme is strengthening Para sport systems across the Commonwealth. By supporting athletes and coaches from developing and emerging nations, it expands opportunities across a wider range of Para disciplines, improves performance pathways and contributes to greater diversity at major international events. Since 2018, over 700 athletes and coaches have taken part in GAPS camps.   

The programme is made possible through the support of the Commonwealth Sport Foundation, whose funding helps remove barriers to participation and strengthen Para sport pathways across the Commonwealth, as well as the substantial support of the partners, Griffiths University, Stellenbosch University and University of West Indies.