Jessica Gallagher’s career in sport is as unique as they come.

She first made history in 2010, when she became the first female athlete from Australia to win a medal at the Paralympic Winter Games, and again in 2016, when she became the first Australian to win a medal at the Paralympic Summer and Winter Games.

Jessica achieved selection to her first Australian Paralympic Team in Para-athletics in 2008. However, on the day before the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games Opening Ceremony, disaster struck – classifiers determined that she was 0.1 degrees too sighted in her right eye to be eligible to compete.

However, as Jessica’s eye disease is degenerative, she returned to the Paralympic track and field for the London 2012 Paralympic Games, where she placed fifth in the women’s long jump F13 and sixth in the women’s javelin F12/13, despite a meniscus tear just weeks before the Games hampering …

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Date of birth
14 March 1986
Sport
Para-rowing
Past Paralympic Games

Vancouver 2010, London 2012, Sochi 2014, Rio 2016

Impairment
Vision impairment
How acquired
Congenital
Residence
Highton, VIC
Occupation
Athlete, motivational speaker, osteopath
Started competing
2006
First competed for Australia
2010
Sport career highlights

Becoming the first Australian athlete to win a medal at the Paralympic Summer and Winter Games

Greatest sporting moments

Becoming the first female athlete to win a medal for Australia at the Paralympic Winter Games

Heroes/role models

Her mum

Favourite quote
Why follow paths lived by others when you can create your own path and destiny?

Disciplines

  • Sport: Para-rowing Discipline: Mixed coxed four Classification: PR3

Social Media

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