Join AUS Squad
Back To News
The Australian Paralympic family has united in mourning Gary Hooper, one of the 12 Australian trailblazers who competed at the first Paralympic Games, following his death last week at the age of 86.
Hooper, Australian Paralympian No.5, was inducted into the Australian Paralympic Hall of Fame last year in recognition of his extensive, enduring and impactful contribution to Para-sport.
Hooper won seven medals in athletics at three Paralympic Games, including one gold medal at Tokyo 1964 and one at Tel Aviv 1968. At Rome in 1960, he won a silver medal in the javelin and, along with his 11 teammates, helped set in motion Australia’s proud history of involvement and excellence at the Paralympic Games.
Jan Hooper posted on social media: “Sadly it is time to speak of the passing of my husband of 61 years. We spent our last night together at Manning Base, supported by beautiful staff, and he slipped away peacefully early Tuesday morning.
“Gary was 86 years old, weakened by more major surgery, and finally unable to recover. He did not want to leave me, and he hasn’t.”
Paralympics Australia Chief Executive Cameron Murray paid tribute, saying Hooper’s contribution would never be forgotten.
“Gary Hooper was an exceptional athlete, a fine ambassador for Australia and, above all, a wonderful person. As one of our 12 athletes who competed at Rome 1960, Gary set the scene for the generations of Australian athletes who have made the Australian Paralympic Movement what it is today.
“On behalf of Paralympics Australia, we honour Gary’s legacy and achievements and celebrate a life lived with purpose and spirit.”
Eight-time Paralympian Danni Di Toro shared: “What a superstar he was. I felt super privileged to meet the legend in person. His passion for sport and life kept that twinkle in his eye going. Sending love to his family and friends and all those who will feel his passing. Vale dear Gary.”
Four-time track and field gold medallist Eric Russell wrote: “Competed with and against him, shared MBE’s and had some great times. My condolence to all.”
Hooper was born in Sydney in 1939 and grew up near Newcastle. After contracting polio at age 11, he became involved in wheelchair sports and showed immediate promise. It was a time when sport for people with a disability was an emerging concept and focused on rehabilitation, but Hooper soon pushed performance boundaries and excelled in various athletics disciplines, including shot put, discus, wheelchair slalom and wheelchair sprint. He also competed at high levels in fencing, weightlifting, swimming and wheelchair basketball.
Australia’s team for the Rome Paralympics raised their own funds by selling raffle tickets, creating street stalls, organising parties, dances and balls, and by providing exhibition basketball matches. At those Games, Hooper won a silver medal in men’s precision javelin B and, four years later in Tokyo, he became Australia’s first wheelchair track racing gold medallist with victory in the men’s wheelchair dash above-T10. He also won a silver medal in the men’s wheelchair relay above-T10 and a silver medal in men’s lightweight weightlifting.
In the last of his three Paralympic Games appearances, at Tel Aviv 1968, Hooper won gold in the men’s 100 metres wheelchair A and silver medals in the men’s 4×40 metres relay open and men’s shot put B.
He was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1969 and carried the Olympic and Paralympic Torches during the respective torch relays for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games. His induction to the Australian Paralympic Hall of Fame sealed his legacy as a giant of Australian sport.
Gary Hooper’s farewell will be held on Friday August 22, at St Nicolas Church, corner of Lake and Bent Streets, Tuncurry, on the NSW mid-north coast at 11am. The service will be live streamed.
By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia
Published: 18 August 2025
