Horrie was born on 17 October 1979[3] in New Zealand.[4][5][6] At the age of seven, he was made a ward of the state due to domestic violence in his home and subsequently spent most of his childhood in foster care homes.[7] In 2001, he was in a motor vehicle accident that left him a paraplegic.[4][8] As of 2016[update], he lives in Penrith, New South Wales.[8] In studying youth work, Horrie said "I want to help underprivileged kids because I can relate to what they may be going through. I’m not saying I understand, but hopefully use my experiences to show them they have a choice."[7]
Horrie is married to Michelle and they have three children.[4][7]
Sporting career
Erik Horrie rowing on the waterErik Horrie rowing on the waterHorrie competing at the 2012 London Paralympics
He was a member of the Australia men's national wheelchair basketball team. He attempted to make the team for the 2008 Summer Paralympics but did not get selected[4] for the national team until 2009 when he played in the 2009 IBWF AOZ Oceania Championship and the 2009 Rollers World Challenge.[9] Following that, he left the sport.[4]
In 2011, he finished first at the New South Wales State Championship.[4] At the 2011 National Rowing Championships in Adelaide, he finished first.[10] In April 2011, he participated in a national team training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport.[10] In the arms, shoulders men's single scull event at the 2011 World Championships in Bled, Slovenia, he finished third.[5][6][8] He competed in the 2012 World Rowing Cup 3 event in Germany.[12] He represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics and he won a silver medal in the Men's Single Sculls – ASM1x.[8][13][14][15]
At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, he won the silver medal in the Men's Single Sculls – ASM1x. This repeated his result at the London Olympics.
Horrie won his four world championships title in winning the gold medal in the Men's PR1M1x at the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Florida. Horrie won the first PR1 M1x World Championship title raced over 2000 m and, but also set a new world's best time after crossing the line in a time of 9 minutes 39 seconds.[19]
At the 2018 World Rowing Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, he won his fifth consecutive title in the Men's PR1 Men's Single Scull and broke
his own World's Best Time, crossing the line in a time of 9 minutes 16.90 seconds, some 8 seconds faster than his previous World Record.[20] Horrie won the bronze medal in the Men's PR1 Men's Single Scull at the 2019 World Rowing Championships in Linz-Ottensheim, Austria. After the race, Horrie said 'It just wasn't my day, but I'm happy to come away with the medal considering the season I’ve had coming back from injury.'[21]
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