Curtis MCGRATH (AUS)
Australia
Age:
36 years
Languages:
English
Federation:
PADDLE AUSTRALIA
Biography
Further Personal Information
NICKNAME
Kiwi, because I was born there and have a small accent
BIOGRAPHY
Type of Impairment
Limb deficiency (news.com.au, 24 Jul 2016)
Origin of Impairment
Acquired (news.com.au, 24 Jul 2016)
Impairment Details
In August 2012 he was serving with the Australian Army in Afghanistan. "I was on an IED [improvised explosive device] patrol, clearing a checkpoint. I was walking with my rifle in my right hand and a metal detector in my left. Next thing I know, I'm on my back, it's quite dark and there are rocks falling. I got up on my elbows, looked down and realised I'd stepped on an IED and my legs were gone. When they put me on the stretcher and carried me to the vehicles, I said, 'You guys will see me in the Paralympics'." His left leg was amputated below the knee, and the right leg above the knee. (curtismcgrath.com.au, Sep 2016; menshealth.com.au, Sep 2016; news.com.au, 24 Jul 2016)
Awards
He was named Sportsman of the Year at the 2016 World Paddle Awards. (worldpaddleawards.com, 28 Feb 2017)
He received the 2016 Queensland Academy of Sport Peter Lacey Award for Sporting Excellence in Australia. (qasport.qld.gov.au, 09 Dec 2016)
General
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO AUSTRALIA
He was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, but at age 10 moved with his family to Western Australia. At age 14 they moved back to New Zealand to live in Queenstown, but after he finished school they returned to Australia to settle in Brisbane, Queensland. (menshealth.com.au, Sep 2016)
Limb deficiency (news.com.au, 24 Jul 2016)
Origin of Impairment
Acquired (news.com.au, 24 Jul 2016)
Impairment Details
In August 2012 he was serving with the Australian Army in Afghanistan. "I was on an IED [improvised explosive device] patrol, clearing a checkpoint. I was walking with my rifle in my right hand and a metal detector in my left. Next thing I know, I'm on my back, it's quite dark and there are rocks falling. I got up on my elbows, looked down and realised I'd stepped on an IED and my legs were gone. When they put me on the stretcher and carried me to the vehicles, I said, 'You guys will see me in the Paralympics'." His left leg was amputated below the knee, and the right leg above the knee. (curtismcgrath.com.au, Sep 2016; menshealth.com.au, Sep 2016; news.com.au, 24 Jul 2016)
Awards
He was named Sportsman of the Year at the 2016 World Paddle Awards. (worldpaddleawards.com, 28 Feb 2017)
He received the 2016 Queensland Academy of Sport Peter Lacey Award for Sporting Excellence in Australia. (qasport.qld.gov.au, 09 Dec 2016)
General
FROM NEW ZEALAND TO AUSTRALIA
He was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, but at age 10 moved with his family to Western Australia. At age 14 they moved back to New Zealand to live in Queenstown, but after he finished school they returned to Australia to settle in Brisbane, Queensland. (menshealth.com.au, Sep 2016)
PLACE OF RESIDENCE
Gold Coast, Australia
OCCUPATION
Soldier
HIGHER EDUCATION
School
REASON FOR TAKING UP THE SPORT
My Outdoor Rec teacher got me involved with whitewater kayaking and I
really enjoyed it. After getting injured in Afghanistan I wanted a sport that I
enjoyed to take me to the Paralympics, so Paracanoe was the first choice.
He took part in a 1000km paddle in Australia from Sydney, NSW, to Brisbane, QLD, organised by Mates4Mates, a veterans' support group. He realised the able-bodied participants were in the same boats, using the same paddles and going at the same pace as him. After the event he began to research Para canoe. He telephoned Andrea King, the Australia Para canoe national coach, who invited him to the team's base in Gold Coast, QLD, Australia.
HOBBIES
Snowboarding, skiing, watching the New Zealand rugby union team, watching movies
CLUB
Varsity Lakes Paddlers Club
NAME OF COACH
Andrea King
NATIONALITY OF YOUR COACH
Australian
SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU BEEN COACHED BY HIM/ HER?
Jan 2014
TRAINING REGIME
He trains twice a day, six days per week. Each session lasts from 90 minutes to two hours
SENIOR INTERNATIONAL DEBUT YEAR
2014
SENIOR INTERNATIONAL DEBUT COUNTRY
Russia
SENIOR INTERNATIONAL DEBUT COMPETITION
World Championships
SENIOR INTERNATIONAL DEBUT LOCATION
Moscow
PREFERRED POSITION / STANCE / STYLE / TECHNIQUE
Strong finish
MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN CAREER
Coach
TRAINING PARTNER(S)
Varsity Lakes sprint team
HERO/IDOL
Richie McCaw, All Black Captain
SUPERSTITIONS/ RITUALS/ BELIEFS
He wears a metal band on his right wrist which is engraved with the names of nine Australian and New Zealander combat engineers who were killed serving in Afghanistan. He looks at the band before each race.
SPORTING PHILOSOPHY/ MOTTO
World Champs don't sleep in. "Achieve one goal and move onto the next."
FAVOURITE PADDLING COURSE
Moscow
FAVOURITE FOOD
Seafood
FAVOURITE MUSIC
Kid Cudi, Incubus, Shapeshifter, NAS, Ásgeir, Of Monsters and Men
AMBITIONS
To win a gold medal at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo
AWARDS AND HONORS
Queensland Sports person with a disability 2014, Gold Coast Sports person
with a disability 2014, Australian Canoeing Sports person with a disability
2014, first Australian to win a Paracanoe gold medal at a world champs.
OTHER INFORMATION
| Rank | Event | Year | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| World Championships | ||||
| 1 | KL2 | 2016 | Duisburg, GER | 42.043 |
| 1 | VL2 | 2016 | Duisburg, GER | 51.267 |
| 1 | VL2 | 2015 | Milan, ITA | 49.489 |
| 1 | V1 200m TA | 2014 | Moscow, RUS | 48.596 |
| 2 | KL2 | 2015 | Milan, ITA | 43.185 |
PREFERRED DISTANCE
200m
POSITION IN BOAT FOR TEAM BOATS
3 or 4
CLASSIFICATION
KL2
OTHER SPORTS
Netball, Australian Defence force team. He competed in swimming at the US Marine Trial Games six months after he was injured in Afghanistan
