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A Bloody Paraplegic
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I initially took an interest in Archery in 1969 while I was in Ward 11 (a ward for people with spinal injuries) in Shenton Park Hospital as sick as the proverbial dog. We didn't know it at the time but I had a hairline fracture in my right hip which was caused in the earlier roll over of my FX Holden.The hip was infected with Osteomyelitis and I would eventually have to have a hindquarter amputation to get rid of the infection.
I was looking out the
window of Ward 11 watching other Para's training for the 1972
Paralympics to be held in Heidelberg, Germany when I decided to have
a go at making the team myself.
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I had to go back into Hospital again and It was around then that I was told that I had to have the right hindquarter amputation
or I would die, and that I had three weeks to decide.
This hit me harder than being told that I wouldn't ever walk again
and I remember having a good long cry at the news. I was going out with April at the time and she was a great source of strength for me while I had to go through that. I still managed to make the WA State Paralympic team to go to Sydney to try out for selection for the Australian team to go to Heidelberg. |
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April and
myself. Wedding photo's here |
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I also made the
WA
Open Mens team to be selected to go
to Sydney to try out to represent Australia at the Olympics but I
opted for the Paralympics because they paid for the trip and to be
honest I had bucklies chance of being picked in the Open
Australian team. I made the Australia Paralympic team by winning a Gold medal in Sydney and I must have entered in table tennis because I got a Bronze medal for that, though I don't remember any of that bit. |
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| Archery Gold medal at the Sydney trials for the Australian team to go to Heidelberg in 1972. |
I proposed to April before leaving Germany and when I came back I sold my Archery Equipment and moved on to the next thing which was the most important and scariest thing I had done to that point. Getting married.
continued Getting Married.
Archery 2007In 2007 I took a new Para to the local Archery Club to see if he was interested. He left and I stayed on to become Secretary of Sunset Coast Archers and did a Archery Society of Western Australia instructors course.
I haven't been to the Archery Club since I had my headache/brain bleed scare and won't be continuing on as secretary in 2010. It is time to go on to something else but I am going to keep my equipment just in case!
continued Compound Bow and accessories
Above photo was taken for The Western Australian
Newspaper.
I don't remember where this
photo was taken at all.
Bronze medal for Table Tennis which I don't remember getting.
