Kurt Fearnley

Kurt Fearnley OAM (born 23 May 1981 in Carcoar, NSW, Australia) is an Australian wheelchair racer, who competes at the Olympic level. At the 2004 Olympic Games, he finished 5th in the demonstration sport of Men's 1500m wheelchair. Following this he won gold in the 5000m and marathon at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens.

Fearnley is the youngest of five children. Sport was always a big part of the family's life. Oblivious to his disability, he played in everything against his able-bodied brothers and friends including curling. At school athletics carnivals, he pushed his everyday wheelchair as fast as he could down the grass track as the others ran. Following an introduction to wheelchair sports and basketball in particular, Fearnley made the decision to focus solely on wheelchair racing.

In 1997 Kurt was a member of the Western Region Academy of Sport and was inducted into the Academy's Hall of Fame in 2007., WRAS Website, 2010-01-14

Within four years he was representing his country at the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney. Here, Fearnley won silver medals in the 800 metres and 4×100 metre relay. At the Paralympic Games in Athens four years later, he won gold in the 5000 m and the marathon and a silver in the 4×100 metre relay. He pushed the last 5 km of the marathon on a flat tyre. Following this success, Fearnley travelled the world extensively, competing in some of the world's most exclusive events and is now regarded as one of the best...
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