Melissa Tapper

Started: She first tried table tennis at age eight. She began playing for her state team at age 12, and took up Para table tennis at age 19. (athletesvoice.com.au, 29 Apr 2019; melissatapper.com, 06 Apr 2016; australiansportsnutrition.com.au, 06 Mar 2014) Reason: She tried table tennis as a recreational activity in primary school and was encouraged to continue playing by her gym teacher. "It was lunchtime sport on a Friday and I was terrible at it, I mean I couldn't even hit the ball. That enjoyment and love for it is what kept me coming back and eventually, I guess, I got alright at it." She got involved in Para table tennis after she was approached by Tim Matthews of Paralympics Australia, and she formed an ambition to represent Australia at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London. (abc.net.au, 20 Jul 2021; athletesvoice.com.au, 29 Apr 2019; melissatapper.com, 06 Apr 2016) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (vis.org.au, 03 Dec 2023) Milestones: She became the first Australian athlete to compete at both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games when she competed in both competitions in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. (smh.com.au, 02 Sep 2016; SportsDeskOnline, 04 Mar 2020) Awards: In 2018 she was named the Victorian Female Athlete of the Year in Australia. (vicsport.com.au, 01 Jan 2022) Additional Info: DUAL PARALYMPIAN-OLYMPIAN IN PARIS She has competed in non-Para table tennis at the Olympic Games, including the 2024 Games in Paris. "Whether it's Para or able-bodied, I go in with the same approach - no player is Para or able-bodied in my head. Qualifying for an Olympic and Paralympic Games is not an easy thing to do. Overall, when I look back over my career, I've just loved it. You always want one more tournament, one more medal, but I'm stoked with what I've achieved." (SportsDeskOnline, 02 Aug 2024; vis.org.au, 03 Dec 2023; smh.com.au, 02 Sep 2016) OTHER ACTIVITIES In 2023 she became a member of the board at Table Tennis Victoria in Australia. She has served as an ambassador for the Standing Tall children's mentorship programme in Australia. (LinkedIn profile, 04 Apr 2024; tabletennisvic.org.au, 20 Dec 2023) CLUB Along with her husband Simon Gerada, she runs a table tennis club called Loops in Sunshine West, VIC, Australia. (loopstabletennis.com, 13 Dec 2023; melissatapper.com, 05 Sep 2021; Official ITTF Channel YouTube channel, 28 Aug 2019)

Sporting Relatives: Her husband Simon Gerada competed in table tennis for Australia at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. He later represented Malta in the sport. He has also worked as Table Tennis Australia's national performance coach. (SportsDeskOnline, 22 Apr 2024; smh.com.au, 31 Jul 2021, 29 Mar 2016; clubhub.net.au, 07 Oct 2014)