Mandy Mason openly admits her daughter Juliette won’t ever be an Olympian – but she still wants answers following a baffling decision by a veteran official at the recent national athletics titles in Sydney.
Juliette Mason was diagnosed with level three autism when she was 22 months old, and her life hasn’t been easy.
Athletics is her passion – which makes what unfolded at Sydney Olympic Park earlier this month all the more heartbreaking.
‘Juju’, 22, was set to compete in para events in the 400m and long jump – and despite her mother submitting the required paperwork, veteran Athletics Australia official Brian Roe wouldn’t allow a carer to escort Juliette ahead of her heat.
Incredibly, it was the same outcome for Juliette at the 2025 national titles in Perth – with Roe again the decision maker.
In 2023, Juliette competed in Brisbane – in the 100m, 200m and long jump – in her para age division, without incident.
Mandy Mason openly admits her daughter Juliette won’t ever be an Olympian – but she still wants answers following a baffling decision by a veteran official at the recent national athletics titles in Sydney
Juliette Mason, 22, was diagnosed with level three autism when she was 22 months old, and athletics is her life passion
While she wouldn’t comment on the 2025 ruling stemming from Perth given it is currently a Human Rights Commission case, Mason is still scratching her head about Juliette being banned from competing in the 400m in Sydney.
‘All that was required was to allow her carer to help with examination of Juliette’s spikes, move her to an assigned group, walk her to the track and then allocate her lane,’ she told the Daily Mail.
‘Due to her (level of) autism, Juliette only responds to familiar faces and voices, which is why we wanted a carer to assist her.
‘For me, this isn’t solely about Juliette, it is about other athletes with autism or disabilities being denied the opportunity to do something they love by people who don’t – or don’t want to – understand the complexities behind certain conditions.’
In a puzzling outcome, Roe then allowed Juliette to compete in the long jump in the same meet with carer assistance in Sydney.
Seeking clarity on the matter, Mason reached out to Australian Athletics CEO Simon Hollingsworth and president Jane Flemming – and is yet to receive a response.
‘Given we travelled from Perth to compete, it was devastating for Juju,’ she said.
‘She’s not an athlete that’s going to get to the Olympics or anything like that, but she’s earned the right to compete, just like everyone else.
Seeking clarity as to why Juliette wasn’t able to compete in her para 400m event recently in Sydney, Mason reached out to Australian Athletics CEO Simon Hollingsworth and president Jane Flemming – but is yet to receive a response
The same official also wouldn’t allow Juliette to compete in some events at the 2025 national titles in Perth, with the matter now a Human Rights Commission case
‘Sport Integrity Australia identified some systemic issues to Australian Athletics, notably no documented guidance for officials on how to apply discretion when assessing requests and how World Para Athletics rules should be interpreted… yet we had the same outcome two years in a row.
‘We don’t want special treatment… just for common sense to be applied.’
Such is his passion for justice, leading Sydney barrister Evan James – who has a background in athletics – has agreed to work on Juliette’s Human Rights Commission case pro bono with solicitor Jahan Kalantar.
James told the Daily Mail the conciliation process is ongoing, with the hope both parties can soon reach a resolution.
Australian Athletics declined to comment when contacted by the Daily Mail.