Caitlin’s sporting journey is a powerful example of how inclusive pathways and the right support can unlock potential.
February 03, 2026 Read time - 3 minutes
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Caitlin Hannen-Williams is achieving the goal most young athletes strive for: representing her country. As a vision-impaired athlete, Caitlin often felt excluded from traditional sporting environments. It was through inclusive sport pathways and her involvement at Blind Sports WA that she was first able to access sport designed for people like her—particularly goalball. These early opportunities were pivotal, providing not only skill development but a sense of belonging.
“Para sports are especially important to me as a vision impaired person because I felt like I missed out on sports for so long growing up, and finding a sport unique to people like me changed my life. I suddenly had a community and an incentive to keep pushing forward and proving stereotypes wrong.”
– Caitlin Hannen-Williams
Caitlin had a standout 2024/25 season, winning gold with the WA women’s team at the Australian Goalball Championships, joining the Australians Women’s Blind Cricket Team for training camps and national competitions and was the first woman from WA to be selected for the Aussie Belles, the Australian Women’s Goalball team. Her commitment and progression did not go unnoticed, culminating in her being named WADSA Sports Star of the Year at the 2025 Awards Night —a recognition of her performance, dedication and positive impact within the disability sport community.
Building on this strong foundation, Caitlin was selected into the WAIS Fast-Track Program, a 6-week program for aspiring Para Athletes at the WA Institute of Sports. The program gave athletes with a disability the opportunity to try new sports, get outside their comfort zones and connect with each other.
“My favourite part of the Fast-Track Program was the friends I made throughout the journey, not only did we all have different disabilities, but we all had different life experiences and learning and interacting with people was invaluable.”
– Caitlin Hannen-Williams
Successfully completing the Fast-Track Program, Caitlin was selected for a place in the WAIS Para Unit, reflecting years of consistent growth that began with inclusive opportunities at the community level and progressed through supported pathways into elite sport.
Despite her achievements to date, Caitlin remains focused on what lies ahead.
“A future goal I have is to represent Australia in the Paralympic Games one day. It would be an honour, and I will stop at nothing to make it happen.”
– Caitlin Hannen-Williams
Caitlin is proud of the role the disability sport community has played in her journey and continues to acknowledge the organisations that supported her development from the beginning.
“I’d like to shout out Blind Sports Western Australia, Goalball Western Australia and VisAbility for bringing a sense of community
and purpose into my life.”
– Caitlin Hannen-Williams
Caitlin’s story highlights the importance of strong grassroots pathways, inclusive sport and collaborative support systems. From WADSA Sport s Star of the Year to the WAIS Para Unit, her journey demonstrates how investing in people and pathways can create life-changing outcomes—and inspire the next generation of athletes with disability.