Andriana Petrakis, who has autism, is a tennis player sharing her experience, skills and knowledge with other young people with intellectual disabilities.
When Andriana was nine, her parents – unable to afford occupational therapy – saw tennis as an alternative to build her movement skills, hand eye coordination and social skills. Just over a decade later, Andriana represented Australia at the 2023 Virtus Global Games, the world’s largest elite sports event for athletes with an intellectual disability.
Now an assistant coach with Tennis SA’s Pathway Program, Andriana hopes to inspire other young people with a disability to learn new skills, meet new people and apply themselves while also having fun.
Andriana shares her passion, positivity and understanding of autism as a public speaker. She is ranked number five internationally and number two in Australia in the women’s singles People with an Intellectual Impairment category. She was awarded Tennis SA’s Most Outstanding Athlete with a Disability in 2023.