Since then, a host of international Paralympic sporting events have been held at the Park, built for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games, including international athletics, basketball, boccia, cycling, goalball, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby events.

"When the APC moved in here 10 years ago in 2004, Paralympic sport was still very much finding its feet in Australia," said Hellwig, Chef de Mission at London 2012 and who will perform a similar role at Rio 2016.

"We'd had the Games [Sydney 200], which was a huge boost for the Movement, but there was still a long way to go in both growing the sport, and keeping people engaged with the Paralympic Movement and our Paralympians after Sydney.

"Sydney Olympic Park has played an enormous role in getting the Movement to where it is today."

Australia had their best ever performance at the Sydney 2000, claiming 63 gold medals in a total of 149 to finish as the number one nation.

But Hellwig claimed the Paralympic Movement in Australia is in a much better place now, despite the country finishing outside the top four in the three Paralympic Games since.

The APC also has offices in Adelaide, Canberra and Perth, while a new training and administration base was opened near Melbourne last year in partnership with Australian Football League (AFL) outfit Essendon, including a high performance centre for Australian Para-athletes and teams in the state of Victoria.

Despite failing to match their medal haul from Sydney 2000 Hellwig claims that the Paralympic Movement in Australia has expanded radically in the last 10 years ©Getty Images



Hellwig, chief executive of the APC since 2010, claimed, that as a result of this expansion and being based at the Sydney Olympic Park, staff numbers and annual turnover at the APC have risen dramatically since 2004.

"In 10 years, our staff numbers have grown from 16 in 2004 to 55 in 2014, the breadth and depth of our work has expanded radically, and our annual turnover has increased from AUD$6.1 million ($5.1 million/£3.3 million/€4 million) in 2004 to more than AUD$20 million ($18.7 million/£11 million/€13.4 million) today.

"The facilities in the Park have helped many of our teams qualify for the Paralympic Games, found future Paralympians at talent search days, have exposed thousands of Australian school children to Paralympic sport and have hosted many international Paralympic athletes and guests.

"While we are also looking to grow our Paralympic sport hubs at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra, and the Essendon Football Club's new facilities in Melbourne, Sydney Olympic Park has cemented itself as the home of Paralympic sport in Australia and an ideal place for people with a disability to engage with sport."

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