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| Human Interest | |
|---|---|
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | Australian Institute of Sport and Raymond Terrace Athletics Club: Canberra, ACT, AUS |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Student |
| Residence | Canberra, ACT, AUS |
| Higher education | Business - Newcastle University: Newcastle, NSW, AUS |
General Interest | |
| Injuries | In December 2009 he tore his hamstring, ruling him out of competition for six weeks. (heathfrancis.beinvolved.com, 23 Dec 2009) |
| Memorable sporting achievement | Winning the 400m in the T46 classification at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. (paralympic.org.au, 23 Dec 2009) |
| Most influential person in career | His mother, and his coach, Iryna Dvoskina. (paralympic.org.au, 23 Dec 2009) |
| Awards and honours | He was joint winner of the 2008 Australian Institute of Sport Athlete of the Year award. (ausport.gov.au, 23 Dec 2009) He was an official torchbearer for the Canberra leg of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Torch Relay. (beijing2008.olympics.com.au, 23 Dec 2009) At the 2006 IPC World Athletics Championships he became the first athlete to win the 100m, 200m and 400m treble in the T46 classification. He repeated the feat at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, breaking two world records in the process. (paralympic.org.au, 23 Dec 2009) He was the 2006 Telstra Male Athlete of the Year with a Disability. (paralympic.org.au, 23 Dec 2009) He received the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2001. (paralympic.org.au, 23 Dec 2009) He was named Junior Male Athlete of the Year by the Australian Paralympic Committee in 1999 and 2000. (paralympic.org.au, 23 Dec 2009) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Iryna Dvoskina |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | He first competed in 1997. |
International Debut | |
| Year | 1998 |
| Competing for | Australia |
| Tournament | World Championships |
| Location | Great Britain |
Further Personal Information | |
| Languages | English |
General Interest | |
| Other information | DISABILITY He had his right arm amputated at the age of seven after it was caught in a meat mincer on the family farm. (paralympic.org.au, 23 Dec 2009) COMMUNITY WORK He is an ambassador for the Australian Paralympic Committee and Work Cover NSW, the government body responsible for managing workplace safety in New South Wales. The subject of work safety is something that is very important to him, as well as losing his arm in a farming accident he also lost his father, who was killed when he slipped and fell underneath a truck after the handbrake failed. (ausport.gov.au, 23 Dec 2009, workcover.nsw.gov.au, 23 Dec 2009) |
Impairment Information | |
| Type of Impairment | Amputee |
| Origin of Impairment | Acquired |