Paralympic coaching great brings championship pedigree to Federation

As a member of Australia’s formidable Steelers wheelchair rugby team, Brad Dubberley competed on the world stage and earned Paralympic success as a player and coach.

Throughout that three-decade journey, he built a reputation beyond the Steelers’ winning ways, transitioning from athlete to coach and becoming known for developing talent, building resilient high-performance teams and helping athletes realise their potential on and off the sporting arena.

Those qualities now underpin the next chapter of his career as he focuses on growing participation and strengthening pathways for aspiring parasport athletes across regional Victoria.

As Federation University WestVic Academy of Sport’s new Parasport Talent Identification Officer for the Southwest Region, he is excited by the opportunity to strengthen regional sporting pathways and inspire more people to engage with parasport.

His focus is now on identifying potential in a setting where opportunities for athletes are less accessible than in larger city-based programs.

“Regional Victoria is home to significant untapped sporting potential and many of Australia’s best athletes have emerged from regional communities,” he said.

“They may not have the opportunities that come with some of the bigger city-based programs, but regional athletes are generally more resilient and more well-rounded. From someone who grew up in regional Australia, I know that we make the most of what we get.”

In his new role, Mr Dubberley will work across Federation University’s partnership with WestVic Academy of Sport, Barwon Sports Academy and the Southwest Academy of Sport to identify and support emerging parasport athletes throughout southwest Victoria.

The role will also see him work closely with Paralympics Australia, the Victorian Institute of Sport and other regional sporting organisations.

“We’re trying to get as many potential athletes into sport as we possibly can throughout the whole region,” Dubberley said.

“It’s really about spreading the word on Paralympic sport and what’s potentially there and available. Not all athletes will make it to the Paralympic level, but there are many opportunities to get people into the facilities here at Federation University and onto a pathway that helps them reach their goals.”

Widely regarded as one of the nation’s most successful Paralympic coaches, Mr Dubberley is a former wheelchair rugby player and Paralympic silver medallist who led the Steelers through one of the most successful periods in the sport’s history, guiding the national team to Paralympic gold medals in London and Rio, multiple world championship victories and several international podium finishes.

His journey in the sport began after a life-changing accident as a teenager. He went on to represent Australia at the Sydney and Athens Paralympic Games before unexpectedly transitioning into coaching.

“I went from playing and being an assistant coach to being offered the opportunity to become head coach at 25. I felt like I could help guide the group and build a successful team.”

Over the next two decades, Mr Dubberley established himself as one of Australia’s most accomplished high-performance coaches, leading athletes through multiple Paralympic campaigns and shaping a culture of sustained success.

But the medals and trophies are only part of the story.

“One of the best things about being a coach was going on a journey with new athletes and their families and not knowing what the future holds,” he said.

“Seeing people become independent, travel the world and experience what’s out there was incredibly rewarding.”

Those experiences now shape his approach to identifying and supporting the next generation of regional athletes.

Mr Dubberley said regional communities are well-placed to nurture high-performance talent, with advances in technology making it easier for athletes to access coaching, education and specialist support without relocating to metropolitan centres.

“There are fantastic physios and nutritionists in regional environments,” he said.

“High-performance sport is starting to believe in this model because it’s a real untapped market. If you can keep athletes in a better, healthier mindset, performance generally follows.”

While his sporting career has taken him around the globe, Mr Dubberley said he is enjoying the opportunity to focus closer to home after spending so many years away.

He said the new role represents an opportunity to combine his passion for athlete development with his belief in the potential of regional communities.

“To see young athletes and their families on that journey will be magnificent,” he said.

“That’s what excites me most about this role.”