20 Facts About Melissa Tapper

Melissa Tapper was born on 1 March 1990 in Hamilton, Victoria, She has a brachial plexus injury resulting in Erb's palsy.

Melissa Tapper has completed Bachelor of Exercise Science at Australian Catholic University.

Melissa Tapper is a class 10 table tennis player which means she competes while standing as opposed to competing while in a wheelchair.

When Melissa Tapper started playing in 2002 while still in primary school, she competed against able-bodied athletes, and her first appearance on an Australian national team was at a competition in Jordan in 2004 in an able-bodied competition.

That year, Melissa Tapper competed at an event in the Czech Republic, and another in Portugal, where she played in the World Junior Cadets under-15s.

Melissa Tapper's college helped fund part of her travel competition costs.

Melissa Tapper started to take the sport more seriously, with the idea of going to the Olympic Games and representing Australia.

Melissa Tapper competed in the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India, in October 2008.

Around 2010, Melissa Tapper decided to try playing Para-Table Tennis, making the switch from able bodied competition to disability sport.

Melissa Tapper won two gold medals at the 2011 Arafura Games, and was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in table tennis.

Melissa Tapper was selected to represent Australia at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Melissa Tapper took part in the Mixed Doubles and Women's Team events.

The Australian team, including Melissa Tapper, ultimately won the bronze medal in this event.

On Friday 25 March 2016, Melissa Tapper made history by winning her way through the Oceanic Championship, thus making her the first athlete to ever be selected to represent Australia in both the Paralympic and Olympic Games.

At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Melissa Tapper won one match in the Women's Singles Class 10 preliminaries and did not advance.

Melissa Tapper took home bronze in the Women's Class 10 at the 2018 Para Table Tennis World Championships in Lasko-Celje, Slovenia.

Melissa Tapper lost in the Women's C10 in the quarter-finals to fellow Australian Yang Qian.

Melissa Tapper competed at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in the Women's Singles 10 and Mixed Doubles 17 but did not progress after losing opening matches.

In November 2018, Melissa Tapper won Victorian Institute of Sport Personal Excellence Award.

Melissa Tapper was a member of the Australian Table Table Tennis Team that was awarded 2020 Paralympics Australia Team of the Year.