Swimmer Jay Dohnt believes that adversity often sets people back in life but it inspires him to go further. Jay had his lower legs amputated after falling ill with meningococcal disease. He sees himself as a fighter who is motivated and competitive - the perfect qualities for an athlete who wants to excel at their discipline.

His dedication is such that he completed the always stressful, final year of school without once missing a training session. In 2004, he was awarded the Lions Club Children’s Courage Award, received the Pride of Australia Courage Award in 2005 and two years later was named Athlete of the Year in South Australian Wheelchair Sports. The Beijing Paralympics however were the biggest highlight of Jay’s swimming career. Jay entered the Games ranked fourth in the world with the goal of securing a medal which he did, winning bronze in the 400m freestyle.

When he’s not swimming, Jay loves to body-board and has gotten into his fair share of trouble on the beach. He remembers one such instance when he and some friends were body-boarding at night and became separated. He walked the length of the beach on his knees looking for them and unable to find them, climbed many flights of stairs until he knocked on a stranger’s door and tried to call them. Unbeknownst to Jay, his panicked friends thought he had drowned and had called the police who sent two search and rescue helicopters, a boat and five police cars to look for him.