‘It’s very difficult for young girls to stay in sport when you have to be fit, and you have to be loud, and you have to take up space.’

Paralympic gold medallist Madison de Rozario

“There is this black and white idea that you have to be good at it to do it,” says the 30-year-old. “And I was bad at wheelchair racing for so long before I was good at it. I still loved it.”

The Allianz survey found 50 per cent of children with a disability have decided to stop playing sports altogether by the age of 11. And one in four children with a disability make that decision because they feel anxious while playing.

“That does mirror my experience,” de Rozario says. “It’s so easy to not do it.”

When she started playing sport alongside her two sisters, the anxiety was around her disability, feeling as though she didn’t belong and that she would be picked last for every team. As a teenager, the anxiety shifted.

“I think for young girls in particular, sport demands what society vilifies,” she says. “It’s very difficult for young girls to stay in sport when you have to be fit, and you have to be loud, and you have to take up space.”

Encouragement from her family and coaches stopped her from giving up as did trying different sports until she found one that fit with her body.

Now she says, sport provides emotional, physical and mental wellbeing: “It has taught me to respect myself as a person, to be proud of who I am as a person, to be very selective in terms of who my friends are and where I want to put my time and energy.”

Sport, regardless of the level a person is playing at, improves cognitive development, bone strength, muscle development and co-ordination, Steer adds.

“There are also psychological benefits,” she says. “It helps with sleep, attention, focus, self-esteem and confidence. It promotes social competency. It teaches you life skills about how to negotiate and work in a team. It teaches individual differences.”

Sport can also support the key developmental tasks of adolescence, Steer says, including positive relationships with peers; healthy risk taking, which builds confidence and self-worth; mentoring and coaching, which inspires; and a sense of identity.

Currently, only one in 20 Australian teenagers meet the guidelines of at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity every day. According to AusPlay, in 2022 to 2023, the top three most popular activities for teens aged 15 to 17 were fitness classes or the gym, soccer and running.

“When I talk to kids and teenagers, I frame it as self-care,” Steer says. “It’s about looking after your body for now and for life. I put it in the same category as sleep and nutrition and leisure and homework.”

Habits take 30 days to develop, she says, so the first few weeks may feel challenging. For children who are anxious or easily overwhelmed, taking small steps to familiarise themselves with a new environment and having a parent or friend nearby can help.

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Carers can also support their children by role-modelling physical activity; doing activities together including walking, kicking a football or playing outside; and by exploring different options, remembering that there are more than 8000 sports in the world.

“Sport is something you do for life,” Steer says. “But you’ve got to find the sport that’s right for you.”

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