Curtis Wain McGrath, OAM (born 31 March 1988) is an Australian paracanoeist and former soldier. He took up canoeing competitively after both of his legs were amputated as a result of a mine blast while serving with the Australian Army in Afghanistan. McGrath won consecutive gold medals in the Men's KL2 at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Paralympics,[1][2] and has won ten gold medals and a silver at ICF Paracanoe World Championships between 2014 and 2019.
Personal
McGrath was born in New Zealand on 31 March 1988.[3] His parents are Kimberley and Paul, and he has two siblings – Brent and Sophia.[4] He grew up in Queenstown, New Zealand and attended Wakatipu High School.[4] As a ten year old, his farming family moved to the Western Australian Wheatbelt but then returned to Queenstown.[5] In his last year at high school, he was awarded the Bruce Grant Memorial Trophy for Outdoor Education. His family later relocated to Brisbane, Queensland.[6] McGrath had a desire to become a jet pilot but became a combat engineer.[5]
McGarth was awarded a Sporting Full Blue at Grffith University whilst studying a Bachelor of Aviation Management.[7]
At the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team Launch in Sydney, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made the following comments about McGrath:
... he has overcome those injuries through rehabilitation and intense training to become an elite paracanoeing competitor. Now only three years on from that shocking accident, that shocking event, those wounds, those injuries, he is out on the water representing Australia at Rio, providing an inspiration to our Defence Forces, to all our wounded warriors, those with a disability and those without. His story is a remarkable feat of triumph over adversity, triumph out of tragedy.[10]
Sporting career
Prior to his military injury, McGrath was a keen white water canoeist, rugby player and swimmer.[9] He took up canoeing and swimming as part of his rehabilitation. His first disability sport experience was at the United States Marine Games in San Diego where he won three gold medals in swimming.[4] In devoting his energy to sport, McGrath commented: "In sport, you are getting your body to do things you don't do every day. It helps your body to adjust more easily to everyday things."[4]
In October 2013, McGrath, with his father Paul, participated in a 1,000 km paddle from Sydney to Queensland to raise funds for the Mates4Mates.[11]
McGrath took up paracanoe in December 2013.[12] He originally competed in V1 (Va'a Outrigger Canoe) in the TA (Trunk and arms category). In 2014, he won the Australian and Oceania Championships in V1 200 m, 500 m and 1000 m events.[3] He is now classified as a KL2 paracanoeist. Almost two years after losing his legs in Afghanistan, he won the gold medal in the V1 200 TA event in world record time at the 2014 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Moscow, Russia. After winning the gold medal McGrath commented: "Even when I was on the stretcher getting carried to the medevac chopper I said I was going to be in the Paralympics, and this is the first step".[9] His aim is to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, where paracanoeing makes it debut. In September 2014, he captained the Australian Team at inaugural Invictus Games in London, and won a bronze medal in swimming and made the archery final.[13]
In March 2015, due to the International Paralympic Committee deciding not run the Va'a events in the 2016 Summer Paralympics, McGrath has switched to kayak events.[14] At the 2015 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, in Milan, Italy, he won a gold medal in the Men's V–1 200 m VL2 and a silver medal in the Men's K–1 200 m VL2. After winning the silver medal in the Paralympic Games event, McGrath said: "This is a whole new ball game for me, the boats are a lot faster, so I had to learn pretty quick".[15]
At the 2016 ICF Paracanoe World Championships in Duisburg, Germany, McGrath won two gold medals in Men's KL2 200m and VL2 200m. In winning the Men's KL2 200m, a Paralympic Games event, he defeated six time world champion Markus Swoboda.[16][17]
McGrath competed at 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida, where he won IR4 one minute row. He also competed in swimming events.[18]
McGrath fulfilled his goal of winning the Men's KL2 200 m at the 2016 Rio Paralympics in a Paralympic record time of 42.190.[2] It was Australia's first gold medal in paracanoe at the Paralympics.[2] He was given the honour of being the Australian flag bearer at the Rio Paralympics Closing Ceremony.[19]
At the 2020 Summer Paralympics,[24] McGrath won gold in both the Men's KL2 and the Men's VL3. In the Men's KL2, McGrath came third in his Heat, and first in his Semi-Final. He won the final in a time of 41.426. In the Men's VL3 he was unbeatable in both his Heat and in the Final. His time in the Final was 50.537.[25]
McGrath lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland and trains on the water at Varsity Lakes. He was originally coached by Andrea King.[12] In 2021, he was coached by Shaun Caven and Guy Power. McGrath is supported by Mates4Mates, branch of the RSL Queensland, a charity that provides support for injured ex-servicemen and women.[3]
Recognition
2014 – Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association Most Improved Athlete of the Year[26]
2014 – Australian Canoeing Paracanoeist of the Year[27]
2014 – The Courier-Mail McDonald's Queensland Athlete with a Disability Award[13]
2014 – Para Performance of the Year – presented by Dairy Australia (Nomination)[28]
2015 – Australian Canoeing Paracanoeist of the Year[29]
2016 – Flag bearer for the Australian team at the Rio Paralympics Closing Ceremony[19]
