Ever since Papua New Guinea made its first appearance at the Summer Paralympics in 1984, it has never fielded more than three para-athletes.

This year, PNG is set to send eight athletes to Paris, driven largely by the efforts of Australia's Paul Bannister.

Bannister first became involved with the PNG Paralympic Committee (PNGPC) in 2014, but he was not given a full-time role until 18 months ago following his contributions at the Tokyo Paralympics, when he was appointed as the Sports Performance Director.

It was a voluntary role he was fulfilling, alongside his full-time employment back in Australia.

"The main goal is 2032 — that is what keeps me involved as I see that PNG has got great capacity," Bannister said.

"The 2028 Paralympics as well as the upcoming Paris event are the starting blocks. My dream is to have four to five sports plus a team go from PNG."

Unfortunately, Bannister has since had to leave the team due to work commitments in Australia but will still be supporting them.

Overcoming challenges to fuel Paralympic dream

Junior Dennis is one of the para-athletes who will be debuting in the javelin and shot put events.

Growing up, Dennis always had a childhood dream of going to the Paralympics.

The 25-year-old has three sisters, and sport has always been an integral part of his life, especially rugby league.

Dennis's Paralympic journey was kick-started three years ago when he came across a newspaper article stating that the PNGPC was on the hunt for new talent.

"I used to wish that one day someone or such an opportunity would present itself to me so that I can join the Paralympics", Dennis said.

He showed promise and as years went by his progress went remarkably well.

But he faced a challenge similar to many athletes in his position — transportation.

Some of them live in villages and find it very hard to commute on a daily basis to attend their training sessions.

At one stage, a lack of access to transport saw Dennis miss a large block of training.

"I was at the worst juncture of my journey when I missed out on three consecutive weeks of training," he said.

"This made me demotivated to continue on with my sporting career — I was on the verge of quitting."

Dennis was prepared to give up on his dream but was swayed to stay the course.

Edward relishing comeback

Regina Edward, 35, is the oldest member of the team.

Her journey began when family members suggested she get involved with the PNGPC after she completed year 10 in 2009.

"One of my uncles, who was attached with the PNGPC, paid a visit at my home village in search for raw talents, especially within our family tree," she said.

"Out of nowhere, another uncle of mine who was a village leader at the time, suggested my name.

"And so they brought equipment up to the village for me to undergo certain trials in javelin, shot put and discus throw."

Edward's performances in each of these events proved that she was a promising prospect and led to her securing a place within the team, but just as her career was taking off she stepped away from sport due to family commitments.

But her sheer passion and drive to still represent her country saw her re-enter the Paralympic stage in 2021.

"After 5 years out of the fields, I decided to come back and take off from where I left," Edward said.

"I also came back because of the pride I get every time I represent my country overseas: not just for winning but to travel the world through sports and represent my homeland with dignity."

Overall, PNG is aiming to send eight athletes to Paris, including six in para-athletics and two in taekwondo, for its largest-ever team.

Lisa Puni is a freelance journalist in Papua New Guinea. Previously, she was a sports & entertainment journalist at Media Niu Guinea Limited (EMTV).

She is a member of ABC International Development's Women in News and Sport Initiative, funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade through the Team Up program.