Navigating school sport has always been a challenge for Florence Nickel but a little-known Paralympic event has unlocked a lofty dream for the 10-year-old.
Florence lives with an acquired brain injury that affects her mobility and speech.
This year, the Gold Coast primary school student was introduced to the sport of boccia and she has not looked back since.
“It makes me super-duper happy because I like doing sports and stuff,” Florence said.
“It would be cool if I could do boccia at the Paralympics.“
Boccia matches are decided by whose ball is closest to the white jack and can be won or lost by millimetres. (ABC Gold Coast: Mark Rigby)
Boccia is one of only two Paralympic events without an Olympic equivalent and is one of the world’s fastest growing para sports.
From the outside it looks like a mix of lawn bowls and bocce but there is more to it than rolling or throwing the heavy leather balls towards each other.
“Boccia’s very technical and strategic,” Boccia Australia’s Lily Parsons said.
Boccia is one of only two Paralympic sports without an Olympic equivalent and is played with heavy leather balls. (ABC Gold Coast: Mark Rigby)
“You can try and block your opponent … you can knock out the other coloured balls … you can push the jack out of bounds so that it goes back to the 5-metre line.
“There’s all sorts of tactics you can play.”
‘Blossoming’ through boccia
The Paris 2024 Games delivered Australia’s greatest Paralympic boccia results with Jamieson Leeson and Dan Michel each winning silver medals.Â
Introducing the sport to schools around the country is part of Boccia Australia’s plan to develop more Paralympic champions from the grassroots level and to promote inclusivity in sport for young people living with disabilities.
Benowa State School year four inclusion teacher Maika Bailey said boccia was proving to be transformational for students with disabilities who sometimes found sport difficult to engage with.
“Kids that wouldn’t normally want to get involved in PE [physical education] or those types of things have really just got in and absolutely blossomed,” Ms Bailey said.
“It’s really helped with their strength in other areas, their fine and gross motor skills, and strategy and really thinking about what they’re doing.“
Benowa State School’s Maika Bailey and Michael Josey are supporting Florence Nickel’s Paralympic dream. (ABC Gold Coast: Mark Rigby)
Principal Michael Josey said he was initially “perplexed as to how it might work”, but including boccia in the school’s sporting calendar was “removing barriers” for students with disabilities.
“It’s become a very, very exciting venture,” Mr Josey said.
“I think there’s a wonderful future for us using this sport in our school for our students who have disabilities that might prevent them from being involved in other sports.”
‘Cheeky, enthusiastic and excited’
Beyond the boccia court and even beyond the school yard, Florence’s mother, Melissa Messina, said she had noticed differences in her daughter since she took up the sport.
“Her attitude is just incredible, it’s really hard to keep up with how positive Florence can be sometimes because life can be quite hard,” Ms Messina said.
“And for her to be able to participate in a sport is a huge thing.
“It’s something that she’s able to do for herself, to get excited about, get involved in and meet people. It means so much to us.“
Florence Nickel’s teachers say playing boccia competitively is unlocking a cheekiness and positivity in her. (ABC Gold Coast: Mark Rigby)
The teacher who works closest with Florence has also noticed changes.
“She’s started to become a lot more cheeky and enthusiastic and excited about things,” Ms Bailey said.
“It’s just been lovely to watch her grow into this athlete who’s excited about a sport, which has led into other things.”
The aspiring Paralympian is not shy about sharing her dreams.
Florence Nickel has experimented with underarm and overarm throws in developing her boccia style. (ABC Gold Coast: Mark Rigby)
“She talks about it all the time. She tells everyone that she’s going to the Paralympics,” Ms Messina said.
“She’s got plenty of practice ahead of her, but we’re all for it.“
For now, with her Paralympic dream yet to play out in full, Florence is welcoming all the competition practice she can get.
“Boccia’s really fun and you can play with lots of people like your friends, your family, your cousins, your brothers and sisters, and I’m really happy about that,” Florence said.
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