After a race, her body would completely shut down – someone would catch her, wheel her back to the team, and let her lie on the ground to recover. This was elite para-cycling for Kaitlyn Schurmann, who lives with cerebral palsy. Now, after stepping away from the sport she loved, she's found a new path to representing Australia – in Boccia.
Kaitlyn began elite cycling at 19, winning a silver medal in her first international road race. “It really helped me fall in love with the sport and see that I had a future in it,” she says.
Living with cerebral palsy while competing at an elite level took an increasing toll. “My body is always on and always moving, which is just really tiring,” Kaitlyn explains. As her career progressed, fatigue became one of the most difficult challenges she faced, with her body eventually shutting down after races.
The mental toll was just as significant. “I started to fall into depression, and I was a bit embarrassed by it,” Kaitlyn says. With support around her, she took a year-long break, coinciding with the Paris Paralympics. “On one hand, you're really excited for your [teammates], but on the other hand, you're really disappointed to not be there with them,” Kaitlyn says in her Helping Hands television documentary.
In 2025, Kaitlyn decided to transition out of cycling entirely, exploring different sports where she could compete at a high level. She landed on Boccia – a sport designed in the 1980s specifically for people with cerebral palsy.
“Boccia is the most inclusive sport in the world,” explains Kelly Rourke, CEO of BOCCIA Australia. “Of the 23 Paralympic sports, only two were specifically designed for people with a disability. Boccia is one of them.”
The precision ball sport is played indoors on a court, where athletes compete seated and throw red and blue balls to land closest to a white target ball called the jack. “We always say Boccia is easy to learn, but impossible to master,” Kelly says.
Kaitlyn's potential was recognised immediately. “Because she's an ex-para-cyclist, she's got a really good sport mentality,” Kelly says. “All I saw was this gigantic smile, this brilliant energy, this eagerness to learn and progress. She's a really good prospect, but a good human and a big part of our community.”
Kaitlyn has already formed strong bonds within the Boccia community, including a close friendship and rivalry with a fellow para-athlete, Louise Braybon. “We're so competitive when we practice,” Louise says. “It'll be our first state titles together, so we can't wait to play as a team or play against each other … I hope our friendship lasts for a long time.”
With state championships approaching and nationals potentially on the horizon, Kaitlyn is taking an optimistic but measured approach. “I do want to wear the green and gold again and represent Australia, but I'm not putting too much emphasis on that at the moment,” she says.
“Let's enjoy it. If I enjoy it, I think I perform better.”
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