The South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) is looking to discover Australia’s next sporting champion in Mount Gambier.
SASI will run two Talent Search sessions on Saturday 14 March at the Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre, providing those in the Limestone Coast with the opportunity to test their athletic potential and explore a future in high-performance sport.
The first session is open to able-bodied participants aged 13 to 17, while the second session is designed for Para-athletes aged 12 and over.
Talent Search gives South Australians the chance to undertake a series of physical, anthropometric and physiological assessments to determine whether they have the attributes required to pursue an elite sporting pathway.
Participants in the able-bodied session will complete a range of tests including a 20-metre sprint, vertical jump and beep test, with results reviewed by SASI’s expert coaching and performance staff.
The Para-athlete session will be aligned with testing for athletics, wheelchair tennis and cycling, with representatives from each sport in attendance on the day to support and identify emerging talent.
Athletes who show exceptional potential will be invited to progress further in a high-performance development program, designed to nurture future champions.
With the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon, SASI Director Keren Faulkner said expanding Talent Search into regional areas is critical to ensuring no talent is missed.
“Taking Talent Search to Mount Gambier means we’re giving more athletes the opportunity to be discovered, regardless of where they live,” Faulkner said.
“This is pivotal as we work towards increasing the representation of South Australians on national teams and building a strong pipeline of talent for future Olympic and Paralympic Games.
“We’ve also expanded our testing capabilities by holding sessions for both able-bodied and Para-athletes, and I’m excited by the potential to launch a new generation of athletes on the pathway towards Brisbane 2032.
“Talent Search has a proven track record of identifying world-class athletes, including Olympic and Commonwealth Games competitors Maeve Plouffe, Annette Edmondson, Alex Porter, Olympia Aldersey and Becchara Palmer.”
The Para-athlete Talent Search session has been made possible through the SASI Para Unit, which consists of a dedicated team of staff creating a framework that enables people with disability to have equal opportunities to explore high-performance sport.
SASI Para Unit Lead, and Paralympic champion Emily Petricola said the impact of the SASI Para Unit has already exceeded expectations, with the program now set to inspire a new wave of athletes across regional South Australia.
“The SASI Para Unit has been up and running for a year and through this initiative we’ve already discovered athletes who are now competing at international competitions,” Petricola said.
“I’m so excited we’re getting the opportunity to go out to the regions for the first time and introduce the SASI Para Unit to those who might not have had involvement in Para-sport before.
“Those who come along on the day don’t need any prior sporting experience, we’re just encouraging everyone to give it a go, you never know what it might lead to.”
Mount Gambier Talent Search testing sessions
Date: Saturday 14 March 2026
Time: Session 1 (able-bodied athletes) 9am – 11am
Session 2 (Para-athletes) 11.30am – 1.30pm
Location: Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre
Register: https://bit.ly/sasi-ts-register
Registrations are essential and spots are limited. For more information about the SASI Talent Search program, visit www.sasi.sa.gov.au/about/talent-search
