Welcome home our heroes! — Victorian Institute of Sport

Help us to welcome home our Rio 2016 Paralympic heroes at a public celebration and parade on Wednesday 5 October in Bourke Street Mall.

A total of 36 athletes on VIS scholarship across 10 sports competed at the Games, which saw Australia collect 81 medals, including 22 gold, and finish fifth on the medal tally.

VIS athletes once again led the way, with our own Dylan Alcott winning gold in the quad singles and doubles tennis, and Carol Cooke defending her T2 Road Time Trial gold won in London. While Jessica Gallagher became Australia's first athlete to win a medal at both a summer and winter Games.

Australia's men's wheelchair rugby team, featuring 7 VIS athletes, extended their golden Paralympic reign when they beat world number one America by a single point, 59-58, in a double overtime thriller final.

Fans will be treated to performances by Rachael Leahcar, the legally blind singsong performer who shot to stardom on the TV hit, The Voice.

The welcome home parade for our Paralympic heroes will begin at 11am.

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VIS and State Government of Victoria

The Victorian Institute of Sport acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land we live and work on, the people of the Kulin Nation and recognise their continuing connection to this land and waterways. We pay our respects to their Elders, past and present and extend this to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.