'Countdown to Paris': five Australian athletes on their journey to the Olympics and Paralympics
The journey to the Paris Olympics and Paralympics has been far from straightforward for the hundreds of athletes hoping to represent Australia. For many, it represents a lifetime of commitment to a goal that isn't always guaranteed. ABC Sport's documentary 'Countdown to Paris' has followed five athletes as they strive to make their mark in Paris.
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00:00The gold is always on my mind.
00:04Alistair Donohoe has a strong sense of unfinished business heading into the Paralympics.
00:10I've won three silvers in the Paralympics before and people think that they might be
00:15the highlights of my career, but like I unfortunately hate those silvers, like they're just a reminder
00:21of like what I missed.
00:23Noemi Fox has spent her life surrounded by Olympians, mum and coach Miriam, dad Richard
00:30and the greatest paddler of all time, sister Jessica.
00:35With Jess taking Australia's only quota positions in the three canoe slalom events, Noemi's
00:41only chance was finishing in the top three at the Kayak Cross Global Qualification event
00:46in Prague.
00:47It's exciting for me this year to see that there is an opportunity no matter how small
00:53it may seem at the time or it's still achievable.
00:57Melissa Wu's elite career started as a child.
01:00At 32 it was her mission to become the first Australian diver to go to five Olympics.
01:07It's the first time I think in my career I've really dived for me and not as much pressure,
01:12being able to just enjoy it.
01:14Campbell Harrison is making his mark in one of the newer Olympic events, sport climbing.
01:19I really love the way that, especially in the lead and boulder disciplines that I specialise
01:23in, it's always fresh and new and it's always changing and you never know exactly what kind
01:29of challenge is going to be presented to you.
01:33Jamison Leeson was initially reluctant to play boccia, now she's a gold medal favourite.
01:39It's given me so much more to my life that I didn't have before and taken me and given
01:44me so many opportunities that I never knew I could even have.
02:14I'm Jamison Leeson.
02:15I'm a gold medalist.
02:16I'm a gold medalist.
02:17I'm a gold medalist.
02:44I'm Jamison Leeson.
02:45I'm a gold medalist.
02:46I'm a gold medalist.
02:47I'm a gold medalist.
03:14I'm Jamison Leeson.
03:15I'm a gold medalist.
03:44I'm Jamison Leeson.
03:45I'm a gold medalist.