Kevin Cunningham (Paralympian)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Kevin Cunningham |
| Nationality |
 Australia |
| Born | 11 August 1939 |
Kevin Cunningham (born 11 August 1939) was a member of Australia's first Paralympic Games Team. He participated at the 1960 Rome and 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympic Games.
Personal
He was born on 11 August 1939 in Perth, Western Australia.[1] His parents were Irene and Edward.[1] His mother Irene died when he was six and was brought up by his grandmother.[1] He attended Jolimont School and Perth Technical College.[1] He undertook an apprenticeship at SW Hart & Company.[1] In 1957, he was involved in a motor vehicle accident and thrown out of T-Model Ford.[1] He was in a coma for three weeks and the accident resulted in both legs being amputated.[1] His rehabitation was undertaken Shenton Park Rehabilitation Centre.[1] In 1966, he married Maureen, a nurse from Shenton Park Rehabilitation Centre.[1]
Paralympic Games
Cunningham's interest in Paralympic sport stemmed from his time at Shenton Park Rehabilitation Centre where he witnessed residents training for the International Stoke Mandeville Games.[1] He participated at the 1960 Rome Games, in wheelchair fencing and wheelchair basketball.[2][3] He was not selected for 1964 Tokyo Games due to an injury in selection trials in Adelaide.[1] He participated in the 1968 Tel Aviv Games in men's slalom C in athletics and wheelchair basketball.[3][4]
Commonmwealth Paraplegic Games
Cunningham participated in three Commonwealth Paraplegic Games. At the 1962 Perth Games, he competed in many events and won gold medals in the pentathlon and men's wheelchair basketball.[1][5] At the 1966 Games in Kingston, Jamaica, he won a gold medal in track relay, 3 silver and two bronze medals in basketball and track and field events.[1] He competed at the 1970 Games in Edinburgh, Scotland and then retired from Paralympic sport.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Kevin Cunningham interviewed by Ian Jobling in the Australian Centre for Paralympic Studies oral history project, National Library of Australia, 2011]". National Library of Australia Oral History. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
- ↑ "The Original Wheelchair Basketball team honoured". Australian Basketball Association. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- 1 2 Labanowich, Stan; Thiboutot, Armand. "Team Rosters:Paralympic Games (Men) 1960–1980" (PDF). Wheelchairs Can Jump. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ↑ "Cunningham". International Paralympic Committee Historical Results Database. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
- ↑ Report of the First Commonwealth Paraplegic Games, Perth, Western Australia, 10–17 November 1962. Perth: Paraplegic Association of Western Australia. 1962.