Boccia champion Jamieson Leeson has her sights on the 2024 Summer Paralympics in Paris

Since being scouted at a boccia school tournament, Dunedoo’s Jamieson Leeson has broken records and is eyeing off the 2024 Paralympics. Read more about her passion below.

Back (L-R) Amanda Leeson, Ken Halliday and Ash Maddern. Front Jamieson Leeson and Dan Michel at the Boccia World Championships.

Dunedoo Paralympian Jamieson Leeson started playing boccia five years ago at a school event.

It wasn’t long before she joined the main training hub in Sydney and hasn’t looked back with success at both national and international level.

The Paralympic sport of boccia has similarities to lawn bowls but is played inside and on a hard surface.

The aim of the game is to throw the coloured ball, either red or blue, as close to the white target ball in individual, pair, or team competitions. There are various classifications which enable people with a vast range of disabilities to participate in the sport.

Leeson has spinal muscular atrophy and is unable to throw the ball so she uses a ramp for assistance.

Back, (L-R) Ash Maddern and Amanda Leeson, front, Dan Michel, and Jamieson Leeson, winning their gold medals at the Boccia World Championships.

The 19-year-old is currently ranked fourth in the world for women, while her pair Dan Michel is ranked first in men and they hold first spot in the pair tournaments.

Over the five years Leeson has won the Boccia NSW State Titles in 2020 and Boccia Australian National Titles in 2022, while also completing in seven international tournaments including the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.

“It was pretty crazy,” Leeson said.

“I remember when I first started, my coach Ken was speaking to me about the Paralympics in Paris and didn’t mention Tokyo at all.

“I won a bronze medal in 2019 in Hong Kong, and it went from there.”

Leeson said she “learnt so much from Tokyo” and is “thankful for the experience” and has her sights set on the 2024 Paralympics.

Naturally having a competitive nature, Leeson is grateful to have an opportunity to compete at such a high level.

Example of the boccia being played. Picture: Richard Walker

“I have muscle weakness throughout my entire body, so the biggest thing for me is that I have an incredible opportunity when it comes to playing boccia,” Leeson said.

“Having a major physical disability, there aren’t too many sports I can compete in.”

She said she had met “lovely” people through the sport both in and outside of Australia, but the travel resulted in challenges at times.

“The airline lost our wheelchairs for two days on the way to the championships this December so that was the biggest scare that I personally had,” she said.

“We take challenges as they come and treat them as learning curves, so we do better the next time.”