Curtis McGrath

Curtis McGrath

2016 Australian Paralympic Team Portrait
Personal information
Nationality  Australia
Born (1988-03-31) 31 March 1988
New Zealand
Medal record
Paracanoe
Paralympic Games
2016 Rio Men's KL2 M 200m
ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
2014 Moscow Men's V–1 200 m VL2
2015 Milan Men's V–1 200 m VL2
2015 Milan Men's K–1 200 m VL2
2016 Duisburg Men's KL2 M 200m
2016 Duisburg Men's VL2 M 200m

Curtis McGrath (born 31 March 1988)[1] is an Australian paracanoeist who took up canoeing competitively after having both of his legs amputated as a result of a mine blast whilst serving in the Australian Army in Afghanistan. McGrath won two gold medals at the 2016 ICF Paracanoe World Championships. He won the gold medal in the Men's KL2 at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.[2][3]

Personal

McGrath was born on 31 March 1988 in New Zealand.[1] His parents are Kimberley and Paul, and has two siblings – Brent and Sophia.[4] He grew up in Queenstown, New Zealand and attended Wakatipu High School.[4] As a ten year old, his farming family moved to the Western Australian Wheatbelt but then returned to Queenstown.[5] In his last year at high school, he was awarded the Bruce Grant Memorial Trophy for Outdoor Education. His family relocated to Brisbane, Queensland.[6] McGrath had a desire to a jet pilot but became a combat engineer.[5]

Military career

He joined the Australian Army in 2006. On the 23rd of August 2012, as a combat engineer with the 6th Engineer Support Regiment, he was badly injured by an Improvised explosive device during operations in Khas Urozgan District, Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.[7] The explosion resulted in McGrath losing his left leg below the knee and his right leg at the knee. He suffered shattered bones in his wrist, burnt left arm, perforated ear drums and large wound at the back of his thigh. He was originally taken to an American medical base in Germany and then to Royal Brisbane Hospital for rehabilitation. Within three months, he was walking on prosthetic legs.[7]

At the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team Launch in Sydney, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made the following comments about McGrath: "he has overcome those injuries through rehabilitation and intense training to become an elite paracanoeing competitor. Now only three years on from that shocking accident, that shocking event, those wounds, those injuries, he is out on the water representing Australia at Rio, providing an inspiration to our Defence Forces, to all our wounded warriors, those with a disability and those without. His story is a remarkable feat of triumph over adversity, triumph out of tragedy."[8]

Sporting career

Prior to his military injury, McGrath was a keen white water canoeist, rugby player and swimmer.[7] He took up canoeing and swimming as part of his rehabilitation. His first disability sport experience was at the United States Marine Games in San Diego where he won three gold medals in swimming.[4] In devoting his energy to sport, McGrath commented: "In sport, you are getting your body to do things you don't do every day. It helps your body to adjust more easily to everyday things." [4]

McGrath took up paracanoe in December 2013.[9] He originally competed in V1 (Va’a Outrigger Canoe) in the TA (Trunk and arms category). In 2014, he won the Australian and Oceania Championships in V1 200 m, 500 m and 1000 m events.[1] He is now classified as a KL2 paracanoeist. Almost two years after losing his legs in Afghanistan, he won the gold medal in the V1 200 TA event in world record time at the 2014 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Moscow, Russia. After winning the gold medal McGrath commented: "Even when I was on the stretcher getting carried to the medevac chopper I said I was going to be in the Paralympics, and this is the first step".[7] His aim is to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, where paracanoeing makes it debut. In September 2014, he captained the Australian Team at inaugural Invictus Games in London, United Kingdom and won a bronze medal in swimming and made the archery final.[10]

In March 2015, due to the International Paralympic Committee deciding not run the Va’a events in the 2016 Summer Paralympics, McGrath has switched to kayak events.[11] At the 2015 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, in Milan, Italy, he won a gold medal in the Men's V–1 200 m VL2 and a silver medal in the Men's K–1 200 m VL2. After winning the silver medal in the Paralympic Games event, McGrath said: "“This is a whole new ball game for me, the boats are a lot faster, so I had to learn pretty quick".[12]

At the 2016 ICF Paracanoe World Championships, Duisburg, Germany, he won two gold medals in Men's KL2 200m and VL2 200m. In winning the Men's KL2 200m, a Paralympic Games event, he defeated six time world champion Markus Swoboda. [13][14]

McGrath competed at 2016 Invictus Games, Orlando, Florida, where he won IR4 one minute row. He also competed in swimming events.[15]

McGrath fulfilled his goal of winning the Men's KL2 200 m at the 2016 Rio Paralympics in a Paralympic record time of 42.190.[3] It was Australia's first gold medal in paracanoe at the Paralympics. [3] He was goven the honour of being the Australian flag bearer at the Rio Paralympics Closing Ceremony. [16]

He lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland and trains on the water at Vasity Lakes. He is coached by Andrea King, head coach of the Australian Paracanoe program.[9] McGrath is supported by Mates4Mates, branch of the RSL Queensland, a charity that provides support for injured ex-servicemen and women.[1]

In October 2013, McGrath with his father Paul, participated 1,000 km paddle from Sydney to Queensland to raise funds for the Mates4Mates.[17]

Recognition

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Curtis McGrath". Australian Canoeing website. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  2. ↑ "World Champions headline first Australian Paralympic Canoe Team". Australian Paralympic Committee News, 16 June 2016. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 "Curtis McGrath". Rio Paralympics Official site. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 McMurran, Alistair (25 Sep 2013). "Paralympics: McGrath maintains positive approach". Otago Daily News. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  5. 1 2 Sygall, David (12 September 2015). "I looked down and saw my legs were gone: Rio-bound kayaker Curtis McGrath". The Age. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  6. ↑ Chandler, Phillip (8 Sep 2012). "Queenstown bomb blast soldier to get prosthetic legs". Mountain Scene. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Foxsports (7 August 2014). "Curtis McGrath is Australia's most inspiring world champion". Courier Mail. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "Paralympic Team Lunch, Sydney Olympic Park". Malcolm Turnbull MP website. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  9. 1 2 Greenwood, Emma (12 May 2014). "Former soldier and Gold Coast Paralympian Curtis McGrath determined to win gold in Rio after losing legs in Afghanistan". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  10. 1 2 Malone, Paul (1 December 2014). "Decorated Gold Coast sailor Mat Belcher wins Queensland Sport Star of the Year award". Courier Mail. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  11. ↑ Shalala, Amanda. "Para-kayaker Curtis McGrath aiming for podium at Rio Paralympics to fulfil promise made after Afghan IED incident". ABC News. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  12. ↑ "REynolds wins Australia's first gold at World Championships". Australian Canoeing News, 21 August 2015. Retrieved 23 August 2015.
  13. ↑ "McGrath snaps Swoboda's Worlds winning streak". International Paralympic Committee website. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  14. ↑ "McGrath has bumper day". International Canoe Federation website. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  15. ↑ Jamison, Debbie. "Former Queenstown soldier Curtis McGrath wins gold at Invictus Games". Stuff.nz.com. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  16. 1 2 "Rio 2016: Kurt Fearnley misses final Paralympics gold, Australia wins rugby title". ABC News. 19 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  17. ↑ Atfield, Cameron (9 November 2013). "Wounded war veterans kayak from Sydney to Brisbane". Courier Mail.
  18. ↑ "Cronau wins top honour at state awards". Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association News, 21 November 2014. Retrieved 22 November 2014.
  19. ↑ "2014 Australian Canoeing award winners". Australian Canoeing website. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  20. ↑ "Finalists named for Australia's premier sporting awards". Australian Sports Commission website. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  21. ↑ "2015 Australian Canoeing Award Winners". Australian Canoeing website. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  22. ↑ "'The Don' 2016 Finalists Announced". Sport Australia Hall of Fame website. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  23. 1 2 "2016 Australian Canoeing Award Winners". Australian Canoeing website. Retrieved 15 November 2016.

External links

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