Ben Austin

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Medal record
Men's EAD Swimming
Paralympic Games
Gold 2004 Athens 100 m freestyle-S8
Gold 2004 Athens 4x100 m medley relay
Silver 2004 Athens 100 m butterfly-S8
Silver 2004 Athens 200 m individual medley-S8
Silver 2004 Athens 4x100 m freestyle relay
Silver 2000 Sydney 200 m individual medley-S8
Silver 2000 Sydney 4x100 m freestyle relay
Bronze 2004 Athens 50 m freestyle-S8
Bronze 2000 Sydney 100 m butterfly-S8
Commonwealth Games
Gold 2002 Manchester 50 m EAD Freestyle
Gold 2002 Manchester 100 m EAD Freestyle

Benjamin James Austin (born November 7, 1980 in Wellington, New South Wales) is an Elite Athlete with a Disability (EAD) swimmer for Australia. His classification is S8 (above elbow amputee). Ben enjoys photography, bird watching, bushwalking, hunting, movies and music. He is also a lifeguard and an administrative assistant, and is nicknamed Austo or Windmill.


Contents

[edit] Biography

Ben was born as a normal baby. However, no doctor was there when he was born, and an unnoticed complication meant a trip by air ambulance to Sydney two weeks later and the amputation of his left arm. Apparently, it got tangled with his umbilical cord.

But Ben's disability never got in his way. He played rugby, basketball and water polo. And since his three sisters have all swum in state championships, Ben decided to give swimming a try. And it was at his first disability state championships where he got noticed by the head coach. The rest, as they say, is history.

[edit] 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games

Heats Finals
  • 50 m EAD Freestyle
    • 27.48 (WR) - 1st
  • 100 m EAD Freestyle
    • 1:00.27 (WR) - 1st
  • 50 m EAD Freestyle
    • 27.59 - 1st
  • 100 m EAD Freestyle
    • 1:00.21 (WR) - 1st

[edit] 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games

Heats Finals
  • 50 m EAD Freestyle
    • 27.78 - 3rd
  • 100 m EAD Freestyle
    • 1:00.21 - 2nd
  • 50 m EAD Freestyle
    • 28.03 - 6th
  • 100 m EAD Freestyle
    • 1:00.50 - 4th

[edit] External links