Julie Smith is an outstanding runner who wants to promote a positive image of athletes with disabilities. She believes everybody can make a unique contribution to the world.

Julie has a congenital disability, missing her left fingers and pectoral muscle and competes in the 100m and 200m track events. She first competed in 1993 and now is making a mark on the national and international arena. She cites one of her greatest sporting moments as winning silver in the 200m and bronze in the 100m at the 2008 National titles. At the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, Julie won a bronze medal in the 200m and narrowly missed out on a medal in the 100m. The Beijing Games was the most rewarding and amazing experience of Julie’s life and to win a bronze medal was just the icing on the cake.

Julie has also competed in other sports such as rugby union (representing QLD country) and soccer and loves to keep busy. She has a diploma of fitness and also has a bachelor in occupational therapy.

Off the track Julie likes to relax by eating stir-fry and tim tams and exploring the great outdoors through camping or hiking activities. She is heavily influenced by her family and admires sports heroes such as rugby league great Wally Lewis.   

She will be competing at the 2009 National Championships, as well as the European Championships for athletes who finished in the top five during the Paralympic Games. But her ultimate goal is to experience another Paralympic Games, after having the best time of her life at her first.