With five sisters, Evan O’Hanlon has always been quick. Involved in athletics at a school level, Evan was encouraged by a PE teacher to explore the possibility of competing as an athlete with a disability. He was linked to a coach through the APC Talent Search Program and has never looked back.

Evan exploded onto the world athletics stage in 2005, immediately creating a name for himself as the next big thing in Paralympic sprinting. On his first ever international tour, he won gold in the 100m and 200m at the 2005 German Nationals and European Championships.

Then at his first Paralympic Games in Beijing, Evan again won the 100m and the 200m, smashing both world records. He became the first athlete with cerebral palsy to shatter 11 seconds over 100m, setting the new world mark at 10.96, he broke the world record in the 200m, crossing the line in 21.98 and also won gold in the 4x100m relay in world record time (41.81) with team mates Tim Sullivan, Chris Mullins and Darren Thrupp.

At the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships, Evan again won gold in the 100m and 200m, and keen to push himself, also tried his hand at the 400m, where he finished second and the long jump, where he finished fourth.

Evan’s outstanding form continued in the lead up to London, where he broke and equalled his 100m and 200m world records, before he smashed both convincingly to win double gold in London. He is now the fastest Australian Paralympian ever across all classes, running 100m in 10.79. He was chosen to carry the flag at the London closing ceremony in recognition of his achievements and was also named Male Athlete of the Year at the 2012 Paralympian of the Year Awards.

Evan lives and trains at the AIS and is currently studying landscape architecture. Outside of athletics, he loves rugby union and remembers playing alongside star Wallaby fullback Kurtley Beale at school until one too many knocks to the head with his cerebral palsy forced him to stop playing. Evan was also a finalist in the 2008 Cleo Bachelor of the Year and prides himself on his fashion sense; he is a keen photographer and loves a good cup of coffee.