Curtis Palmer
 2013 Tri-Nations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nationality |  Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 8 May 1977 New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Curtis Palmer (born 8 May 1977) is a New Zealand-born wheelchair rugby player who initially played for the New Zealand national team Wheel Blacks.[1] In 2013 he switched to play for the Australia national wheelchair rugby team.[2][3]
Palmer was a part of the Wheel Blacks at each of the first four Paralympic games wheelchair rugby tournament from its beginnings in 1996 as a demonstration event through to the 2008 Summer Paralympics. In that time he has won a gold medal in 2004 and a bronze in 2000 .[4] The Wheel Blacks did not qualify for the 2012 Summer Paralympics.
Palmer played for Australia against the Wheel Blacks in the 2013 Tri-Nations competition held in Sydney.[2] He was a member of the Australian team that won its first world championship gold medal at the 2014 World Wheelchair Rugby Championships at Odense, Denmark. .[5]
In addition to his wheelchair rugby playing career, Curtis has been a journalist and TV presenter,[6] and is currently a coach and motivational speaker. He has also authored a book about his life's journey.[1]
Early days
Curtis Palmer was born on 8 May 1977.[1] After his family moved to Australia when Curtis was young he grew up on Sydney's northern beaches and played rugby league in the Manly Warringah District Junior Rugby League. He played junior representative football for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and New South Wales Rugby League. He was injured in a rugby league game in Manly in 1992 at the age of fifteen and became a quadriplegic.[6] The following year he embarked on his wheelchair rugby career which has taken him to four Paralympic Games.[7]
References
- ^ a b c "Athletes and Coaches - Curtis Palmer". Australian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ a b "Curtis Palmer switches allegiance from New Zealand to Australia as he chases wheelchair rugby glory". Herald Sun.
- ^ "US seeks revenge against champion Aussie wheelchair team". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ Curtis Palmer at the International Paralympic Committee
- ^ "Australia wins first ever IWRF World Championship". Australian Paralympic Committee News. 11 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ a b "Who is Curtis Palmer". Smashing It. Archived from the original on 25 June 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ "Curtis Palmer". GIO NSW Gladiators. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
External links
- Official site
- Curtis Palmer at Paralympics New Zealand
- Curtis Palmer at the International Paralympic Committee
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- 1977 births
- Living people
- Australian wheelchair rugby players
- New Zealand wheelchair rugby players
- Paralympic wheelchair rugby players of Australia
- Paralympic wheelchair rugby players of New Zealand
- Paralympic gold medalists for New Zealand
- Paralympic bronze medalists for New Zealand
- Paralympic medalists in wheelchair rugby
- Wheelchair rugby players at the 1996 Summer Paralympics
- Wheelchair rugby players at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
- Wheelchair rugby players at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
- Wheelchair rugby players at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 1996 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
- Wheelchair rugby biography stubs
- New Zealand Paralympic medalist stubs