Darren Gardiner believes that if you visualise, you will materialise. It is an attitude that has permeated throughout his distinguished powerlifting career.

When he is not at work as a sales manager, Darren is winning silver medals, having won four in four years. In 2008 he secured Australia’s only powerlifting medal at the Beijing Paralympics and most recently won gold at the 2011 National Championships after coming back from a year off with illness and injury, also managing to take gold at the 2011 Arafura Games.

After having cancer, Darren had his left leg amputated below the knee at the age of 24. Despite the setback, he never allowed this to stand in his way. In Athens, Darren won a silver medal by lifting a weight of 227.5 kilograms. In 2006, he again won a silver medal at the World Championships and then a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games opening competition in Melbourne. In 2007, he gained silver at the European Open and won another silver medal in Beijing.

Despite originally planning to retire, Darren is back for another Paralympics tilt. Naturally, he hopes London 2012 will deliver a long awaited gold medal. He says performance all comes down to the day of competition and his aim in competition is to achieve his personal best. Currently ranked second in the world, his personal best lift is 235kg (as of May 2011). Darren has plans to increase this to the 240kg barrier.

Darren can be heard from miles away before he is about to compete. Nicknamed ‘Bear’, he roars like a bear as he psyches himself up. Away from powerlifting, it would not surprise to find Darren gardening or watching gardening televisions shows.