Kathryn Ross was two years old when an accident involving a ride-on lawnmower resulted in the fusing of her right knee and ankle joints. Doing little to quell her passion for sport, she took up rowing for the first time in 2006.

Two years later, she made her Paralympic debut at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, claiming a silver medal in the TA mixed double sculls event. Rowing with John Maclean, the pair finished with a time of 4:21.58 behind China’s Yangjing Zhou and Zilong Shan by less than one second, who finished in 4:20.69.

In the four years between Beijing and London, Kathryn rowed with a number of partners before finding the right fit with Gavin. Following John Maclean’s retirement in 2008, Kathryn teamed up with Grant Bailey to win bronze at the 2010 FISA World Rowing Championships in Cambridge, New Zealand.

Striving for gold at the London 2012 …

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Date of birth
25 June 1981
Sport
Para-rowing
Past Paralympic Games

Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020

Impairment
Physical Impairment – Joint fusion (right knee and ankle)
How acquired
Ride-on lawnmower accident
Residence
Bruce, ACT
Occupation
Personal banker
Started competing
2006
First competed for Australia
2007
Sport career highlights

Winning Australia’s first ever Paralympic rowing medal, a silver in Beijing

Disciplines

  • Sport: Para-rowing Discipline: Mixed double sculls Classification: PR2

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