Steve Green

He made his Paralympic debut nearly 28 years ago in Para-powerlifting, and now 54-year-old Steve Green is out of retirement and aiming to compete at his fourth Paralympic Games – this time in Para-archery.

Steve, who represented Australia at the 1992, 2000 and 2004 Paralympic Games, has always dreamed of winning a Paralympic medal, and even after his retirement post the 2006 Commonwealth Games, that dream never faded.

In 2016, Steve attended a Talent Search Day run by Paralympics Australia, eager to find another sport to sink his teeth into. While Para-archery was by no means his strong suit, his passion for it was impossible to ignore, and he soon celebrated his return to the national stage.

While Steve missed selection to the Australian team for the 2019 World Archery Para Championships in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands, the 54-year-old was not deterred. Currently coached by Lynette Rankin-Tyack, mum to Olympic archer Ryan Tyack, it is only a matter of time before Steve dons the green and gold once again.

As with many athletes, Steve was first introduced to Para-sport by way of rehabilitation. He was 21 and fixing an old race car when it collapsed on top of him, and after three months in hospital, his fate was sealed – Steve had complete paraplegia.

He enjoyed rebuilding his strength, and this, together with raw, unadulterated talent, inevitably saw him climb the world rankings and into the Paralympic arena.

When Steve isn’t shooting arrows or lifting weights, you can find him playing guitar and listening to music.