Paralympic Games Patrons Memorial

The Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee’s recognition of the donors to the Paralymic Patron’s Fund is recorded on the granite wall at the southern end of The Overflow. The donors contributed nearly $15 million and their generosity helped fund the highly successful Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.

The Paralympic Games is the world’s leading international sporting event for athletes with a disability. The Paralympic Games were held in Sydney, Australia, in October 2000 just after the Olympic games. 3843 athletes from 122 countries, plus a delegation of independent athletes attended the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games from East Timor. It was the largest games in Paralympic history. The athletes were divided into six different disability groups-amputees, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, les autres (for athletes with a range of conditions), vision-imapired and wheelchair. They competed at the highest level in 18 sports, including archery, athletics, basketball, cycling, equestrian, fencing, sailing, swimming and tennis. The event was larger than the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games and the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

Australia recorded its best ever performance in the medals, including 63 gold. The Paralympic Games memorial provides a unique opportunity for people to appreciate the capability and achievements of the best of world’s athletes with a disability and members of the community who helped these athletes in showcasing their skills, by sponsoring the games.