top of page
Paris-Paralympic-Dream-Nears.png

About Grace

Grace Brimelow is a 17-year-old Para triathlete who lives and trains on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Grace races in the PTS4 classification.

Grace has just risen to be ranked third in the world in the Paralympic rankings. She has won her last three races; Oceania Championships, Devonport World Series Race, and on the 1st June  2024 she won a World Cup race in Spain, where she beat the field (including number 2 in the world) by more than 7 minutes. 

Grace realised her dream of qualifying and being selected to represent Australia at the Paralympic Games in 2024, in Triathlon. This is her story so far…

A Sunshine Coast local

Grace grew up on the Sunshine Coast. Born in Nambour, Grace attends Sunshine Coast Grammar School (SCGS). Here, her journey as a triathlete began and blossomed. Grace’s skill for sports was evident from an early age. She started swimming lessons when she was four months old and joined Little Athletics at five. Although she initially found herself lagging in races, her performance improved as the distances increased. At nine, Grace secured second place in her school’s cross-country race, marking a pivotal moment in her sporting journey. Her Physical Education teacher, Maureen Cummings, recognised Grace’s potential and suggested she try Aquathlon—a combination of swimming and running. Maureen, a champion aquathlete and triathlete herself, saw Grace’s potential and guided her towards this sport. Grace’s talent quickly shone through as she made the able-bodied Aquathlon team for the Sunshine Coast Region for two consecutive years. 

Triathlon

Once she was old enough, Grace transitioned into triathlons and has since made the Sunshine Coast able-bodied regional team every year. A memorable moment indicating Grace’s calibre was in her first triathlon at the Queensland Schools Championships, where she cycled the entire 10 km of the ride leg on a flat tyre. Grace’s reasoning was, “I had done all that running training, so I wasn’t going to miss that run”. She went from last off the bike to pass more than ten other athletes in the run. Grace joined Sunshine Coast Tri Academy to train with her brother under the tutelage of Toby Coote. She was Toby’s second Para Athlete. He may not have known what he was in for. That was three years ago, and Grace has now built up to training 10-12 sessions a week.

Swimming

Grace is also a very talented swimmer, which pays dividends in triathlon. She is a member of the Dolphins development squad and is working on representing Australia in the 400m Freestyle. Grace trains for swimming with Charles Barry at Sunshine Coast Grammar. Grace has long term goals to represent Australia in two sports—swimming and triathlon.

Determination

Grace is a determined and hard-working young woman. Grace is in year 11 at Sunshine Coast Grammar School. She enjoys all sport and has a keen interest in sports psychology, and the creative industries, including film and TV, music and acting. Those interests have taken a back seat to sport for the moment, so she can pursue her dream of going to the Paralympics. Reflecting on her most recent sporting achievements in Spain, Grace says, “I can’t believe where I am at and I still can’t interpret those feelings; that’s how much I am blown away with what has happened. But that result is just one of a whole journey that is really only just starting.” Despite her international success, Grace will continue her training on the Sunshine Coast. She explains, “being in a familiar environment whilst waiting to see if I make it—and continuing to try to do my Year 11 work, is important, and I think will make me a better athlete and, more importantly, the best version of me I can be.”

Classification

Grace has Cri Du Chat Syndrome, which means that she was born missing the top tip of the short arm of the 5th Chromosome. The condition affects her whole being. For the purposes of her sport, she has ataxia and athetosis, and neurological dysfunction. Grace has a speech and language impairment, impaired coordination and fine and gross motor skills, eating and swallowing difficulties, and learning and cognitive difficulties. Because she was not diagnosed until she was six and a half years old and was not provided with a classification in sport until she was 12, Grace started her sporting career, competing against the mainstream. Consequently, Grace has always been ‘chasing people down’. Grace takes part in the mainstream races whenever she can, whilst seeking recognition as a Para athlete. Grace is currently classified as a PTS4 triathlete and as an S9 swimmer.

Results

You can keep up to date with Grace's sporting results HERE >>

bottom of page