A new generation of Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls could be uncovered on the Sunshine Coast next month, with elite talent scouts searching for Queensland’s future sporting stars.
The Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) YouFor2032 talent team will visit the region in February for a face-to-face testing day, with local young people encouraged to put themselves forward.
Eligibility is open to those aged 13 to 23 for Olympic sports and 13 to 30 for Paralympic sports, with no sporting background required and Para-athletes encouraged to apply.
“We are looking at uncovering as many athletes as possible, and our focus is on finding untapped talent, connecting them to high-performance pathways with our network of partner sports,” QAS talent lead Alex Roberts said.
“We know there are young people right across the state with the potential to succeed in sports they may not yet be competing in, and this program is about finding them.”
Before attending the in-person testing day, aspiring athletes must complete initial testing through the new YouFor2032 AI app before February 1.
The world-first app uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to assess athletic potential using only a smartphone, allowing young Queenslanders to complete testing from home during the school holidays.
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Ms Roberts said the YouFor2032 app, driven by RACQ, removed geographic barriers by allowing athletes to showcase their skills no matter where they live.
“The launch of the app in 2025 ensures more athletes from every corner of the state are identified earlier and supported into high-performance opportunities,” she said.
Successful athletes are matched with sports where they show the strongest potential and connected with expert coaching and support through QAS.
“The program takes a phased approach, starting with a three-month sport trial program which gives them access to a 12-month development and education program,” Ms Roberts said.
“This includes regular coaching and training, competition opportunities and high-performance education for both athletes and their parents. From there, athletes may be selected for further state and national programs.”
Ms Roberts said the app was particularly significant for regional, remote and disadvantaged athletes.
“Over the past four years, the Talent Team has travelled more than 40,000 kilometres and tested over 5700 athletes, but we can only spend a day or two in each town,” she said.
She said the app was also the first talent search app in the world to include Para sports, creating accessible pathways for young people with a disability to compete in elite sport.
