Parasport in focus with Olympian visit

OLYMPIC and Paralympic gold medallists Brett Aitken, Emily Petricola, and former local Jed Altschwager will be in Mount Gambier this Friday as part of the Connected and Active Communities program, in proud partnership with the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI).

As part of their roles with SASI, Brett, Emily and Jed will engage with local athletes and the broader community through a series of inspiring events and activities.

Their visit will support the development of inclusive grassroots sport programs and help drive forward plans for future Talent Identification (Talent ID) testing for a Para-sport component within the Limestone Coast Regional Sporting Academy.

During the day, they will:

• Meet with local Inclusion Officer to explore opportunities for inclusive sport programming;

• Run a session with athletes from the Academy’s Cycling Program, sharing elite insights and coaching tips;

• Set up an interactive community stall at the Mount Gambier Pioneers NBL1 basketball game at the Wulanda Recreation and Convention Centre.

In a special highlight for fans, all three athletes will have their Olympic and Paralympic gold medals on hand for photo opportunities at the Pioneers game.

Connected and Active Communities program’s Tony Elletson said this was a fantastic opportunity for our local athletes and community members to connect with world-class sporting champions.

“Their stories of perseverance and achievement will no doubt inspire the next generation of athletes here in the Limestone Coast,” he said.

Aitken, one of Australia’s most accomplished track cyclists, renowned for his Olympic success and consistent performance on the world stage, is no stranger to the region having been a regular visitor as part of talent identification trips and working with the cyclists in the Limestone Coast regional Sporting Academy.

A three-time Olympian, Brett won gold in the Madison at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, adding to his silver and bronze medals in the Team Pursuit from Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games.

His international career also includes multiple medals and gold at World Championships and Commonwealth Games and he was the inaugural winner of the Sprint Jersey in the first Tour Down Under, marking him as one of the country’s elite endurance riders throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.

“He now leads the cycling program at the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI), where he mentors emerging and elite athletes in both track and road disciplines,” Mr Elletson said. “He is passionate about helping athletes unlock their potential through structured planning, race intelligence, and a positive performance culture. Drawing on decades of elite-level experience, he continues to play a key role in shaping the next generation of Australian cycling talent.”

“I found my passion for CrossFit during my recovery and it was through CrossFit that I rediscovered my love for pushing myself, and in 2017, I transitioned into rowing,” Jed said.

Making his international debut in 2018, Jed won silver at the World Rowing Championships in the PR3 Men’s Pair, while a career highlight came when he teamed up with Nikki Ayers to win gold at both the 2023 World Championships and the 2024 Paris Paralympics—Australia’s first-ever gold in Paralympic rowing.

“Away from sport, I’m a proud husband and father to two amazing kids,” Jed said. “Since retiring from competitive sport in 2024, I’ve been working with the South Australian Sports Institute in the Para Unit, helping people with disability connect to sport and explore their own potential. In 2025, I was honoured to receive the Medal of the Order of Australia for my contributions to sport and the community.”

Jed is currently the Lead for Para Talent ID and pathways at the South Australian Sports institute, helping find the next crop of South Australian Para Athletes.

Emily was 27 when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis – the frequent MS attacks severely impacted her ability to function as she had before along with the ongoing symptoms including extreme fatigue, temporary loss of sight, foot drop, pain, tremors, tingling and numbness through her body.

Having been involved in sport before the onset of MS and encouraged by her network of supporters, Emily remained determined to participate in physical activity and in 2015, her friend and colleague, two-time Olympic rower Matt Ryan, offered to oversee her training along with another good friend, five-time Olympic cyclist Shane Kelly, and emboldened Emily to dream big.

Three years later Emily made her national team debut at the Track World Championships, winning a silver and a bronze medal. Since then, she has captured a remarkable 10 track world championship gold medals including five straight C4 individual pursuit titles and one road time trial world championship gold medal.

But it was her Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020 where Emily sealed herself as one of Australian cycling’s most powerful performers.

With a blistering time of 3:38.061 in the qualifying round of the women’s 3000m individual pursuit C4, she beat her previous world record before going on to win the gold medal. She then added silver in the women’s road time trial C4.

Emily’s passage to Paris 2024 was plagued by injury and complications from her condition, yet showing amazing resilience, she made it consecutive gold medals in the 3000m individual pursuit, clocking a world record time of 3:35.856.

The community is encouraged to come along to the Mount Gambier Pioneers game on Friday night at Wulanda and be part of this exciting visit.