Sionann Murphy
Hi everyone, I’m Sionann Murphy though many of you know me as Shaz or Shazza! I attended my first Halberg Games at 9, and it changed my life. Before that, there was no para division in junior athletics, and I always raced against able-bodied kids coming last, feeling judged, and left out. But at Halberg, for the first time, I belonged. It was the most inclusive environment I’d ever known no one stood out as different; we were all part of one community. After that, I came back every year, driven by the belief that more kids like me needed a space. I pushed to open doors in the junior athletics ranks so that para-athletes could compete from a young age, just like everyone else. That passion kept growing, and today, I proudly compete in shot put and discus.
Halberg gave me the confidence to keep going, and in return, I want to give back. That’s why I joined the Youth Council. Not just to thank Halberg, but to ensure every young person has a voice. Growing up, I saw so many kids left out of PE, just because no one adapted it. I joined the Youth Council to make change so that every parent, coach, and teacher knows how to include every child so no one has to sit on the sidelines. Halberg didn’t just give me a sport; it gave me a family, a home in athletics, and I’m here to make sure every child has that chance too.
