Jamieson and her mum Amanda used to travel to Sydney from their home in Dunedoo, near Dubbo, every second week so Jamieson could spend three to four days training in the sport of boccia and attending university.
Since Jamieson moved into a Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) apartment at Sydney Olympic Park in August 2023, life has become much easier for the 20 year old.
Jamieson says the travel – almost five hours each way – was exhausting.
Now she is better able to concentrate on her goal of representing Australia at the Paralympics in Paris later this year and completing her Economics degree at the University of NSW.
After a two year battle Jamieson moves into her SDA apartment in Sydney
When Jamieson finally got the keys to her one bedroom apartment she felt overwhelming relief. She had been battling to get SDA and additional supports into her NDIS plan for two years.
“I started looking for accommodation in Sydney in my final year of high school,” Jamieson says.
“It was a very frustrating process. Other people in similar circumstances had their funding approved but I had to fight and appeal for mine.”
Her advice to others applying for SDA funding is to be patient and to not give up.
“I had looked at the apartment a couple of times while I was waiting for funding approval. Home in Place held it for me until I could move in.”
“I love living here. It is so central. I am 25 minutes away from university and I can walk to training rather than driving for five hours.”
“Living here has given me so much more time.”
“The people at Home in Place have been very supportive and always there to answer any questions I have had.”
Paralympian in boccia
Jamieson started playing boccia six years ago. Her talent was quickly realised and she has represented Australia in the sport for four and a half years. Read her Paralympic bio here.
“I went to a school boccia day in Orange when I was in Year 10. Someone said I could be really good at the sport and to come to Sydney to find out more.”
There are four classifications in the sport. Jamieson has spinal muscular atrophy which means she is in a chair and can’t throw the ball on the court. She participates in the BC3 classification where competitors use ramps with the assistance of a ramp operator. To date, her mum Amanda has been her ramp operator.
She has already won a handful of medals, including silver at the 2019 Boccia Australia National Titles. As she had only been in the sport for a year and a half, no one expected Jamieson to qualify for the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021. She got to compete in the BC3 Mixed Pairs competition.
UPDATE: Jamieson shines at Paris 2024 with historic boccia silver
Jamieson has made history by winning a silver medal in the Women’s Individual BC3 boccia competition at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. This achievement is particularly significant as it marks the first time an Australian Paralympian has medaled in the women’s boccia category.
Jamieson’s journey to the podium was marked by a series of impressive performances. In the final, she faced tough competition but showcased remarkable skill and perseverance to secure the silver medal.
In addition to her success in the individual competition, Jamieson competed in the Mixed Pairs BC3 event with her partner, Dan Michel who also won an individual silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. The duo performed admirably in the pool rounds, winning both of their games to advance to the quarter-finals.
You can read more about Jamieson and Dan’s silver haul at paralympic.org.au.
