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Curtis was the first Paralympic athlete to be named "Sportsman of the Year" at the World Paddle Awards and Australian Canoeing Paracanoeist of the Year in 2017.
Curtis was honoured with an Order of Australia Medal in 2017.
Curtis tells his extraordinary story in his book, Blood Sweat and Steel.
Para-Canoeing
Rio 2016
Tokyo 2021
Paris 2024
Gold Coast, Queensland
When Curtis McGrath lost his legs in Afghanistan, he joked to the soldiers who stretchered him to the rescue chopper “you guys will see me in the Paralympics”.
He was serving in the Australian Army as a combat engineer in 2012 when he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED). Less than two years after becoming a bilateral amputee, Curtis started to make good his promise when he took up sprint canoeing.
For Curtis, competing in the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games was the pinnacle of his healing journey. He won gold in the first ever Paralympic title in the men’s KL3 canoe sprint. As he crossed the line, he slumped into his kayak with exhaustion and a huge feeling of relief.
Sport played an integral part of Curtis' rehabilitation. It provided him with a sense of purpose and identity.
Curtis defended his gold at the Tokyo Paralympics. After two Paralympic Games and three gold medals, he gave himself a well-deserved break in 2022 before he started training for Paris. He believes rest, both physical and mental, is everything for an athlete.
For Curtis, downtime and sleep are non-negotiable for his health and wellbeing.
Ben is a three-time Paralympic Snowboarder and a bronze medallist from the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. Ben, who was born with hemiphegic cerebral palsy, became the world's youngest ever Winter Paralympian when he competed in the 2014 Winter Games at the age of 14.
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