Maria Strong could be considered somewhat as a late bloomer when it comes to their sporting career. Maria, a swimming instructor, was a regular official at local, state and national athletics competitions before starting an athletics career, as a mature athlete in 2017. They picked up a shot put for fun and two years later they were representing Australia in Dubai for the World Para Athletics Championships, where they finished fifth in the F33 Shot put with a PB throw of 6.37m. Selected for the delayed Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, Maria was magnificent, hitting 6.63m in the shot, …
Read MoreMaria Strong could be considered somewhat as a late bloomer when it comes to their sporting career.
Maria, a swimming instructor, was a regular official at local, state and national athletics competitions before starting an athletics career, as a mature athlete in 2017.
They picked up a shot put for fun and two years later they were representing Australia in Dubai for the World Para Athletics Championships, where they finished fifth in the F33 Shot put with a PB throw of 6.37m.
Selected for the delayed Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2021, Maria was magnificent, hitting 6.63m in the shot, to claim the bronze medal, ahead of Poland’s Joanna Oleksiuk.
Maria continued their progress, taking a home a gold medal in the Women’s 100m T72 frame running and a silver medal in the Women’s Shot Put F33 events at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships.
The Victorian holds the current Australian F33 shot put record at 6.82m and is the Athletics Essendon’s only paralympic medallist, and the only athlete other than Peter Norman to get onto a podium at the elite level.
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