Jessica Gallagher

Started: She began Para cycling in late 2014. (paralympic.org.au, 29 Aug 2019, 2016) Reason: She was recruited to Para cycling track by Glenn Doney, the head cycling coach at the Victorian Institute of Sport [VIS] in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. In 2019 she began rowing with the goal of competing at the 2020 Paralympic Games in the sport. Having been unable to achieve that goal, she returned to competitive cycling alongside rowing in 2022. (commonwealthgames.com.au, 20 Jul 2022; auscycling.org.au, 30 Mar 2022; sbs.com.au, 28 Apr 2016) Ambition: To win a Paralympic gold medal. (paralympic.org.au, 01 Jan 2020) Milestones: She became the first athlete representing Australia to win a medal at both the summer and winter editions of the Paralympic Games when she claimed bronze in the tandem B 1000m time trial cycling event at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. She had previously won bronze in alpine skiing at the Paralympic Winter Games in 2010 [visually impaired slalom] and 2014 [visually impaired giant slalom]. (paralympic.org.au, 01 Jan 2020; theguardian.com, 10 Sep 2016) She became the first female athlete representing Australia to win a medal at the Paralympic Winter Games when she claimed bronze in the visually impaired slalom alpine skiing event at the 2010 Games in Vancouver. (paralympic.org.au, 01 Jan 2020) Awards: She was named the 2014 Female Sportsperson of the Year at the Victorian Para Sport and Recreation Awards in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. (disabledwintersport.com.au, 05 Dec 2014) In 2010 she was named the Female Australian Paralympian of the Year. (paralympic.org.au, 04 Nov 2011) Additional Info: MULTI-SPORT ATHLETE She has competed at an elite level in several sports, including in athletics, cycling, and alpine skiing at the Paralympic Games. She says she was influenced by her mother to take up multiple sports. "I just love playing sports. I grew up in Geelong, Victoria, and I was a sporty kid. I loved playing every single sport. When I was diagnosed as legally blind and could no longer play netball or basketball, I really felt this loss of identity because all I'd known since I was a little kid was loving playing sport. For me to discover that there was still the opportunity for me to live out that childhood goal of wearing that green and gold [in Para sport] changed my life. One of the things that I remember the most from growing up was when my mum once said to me, 'You'll never know if you like something unless you try it'. So, I've done that with all the different sports that I've played and I've found that I love all of them for different reasons." (Commonwealth Games Australia YouTube channel, 11 Aug 2022; paralympic.org.au, 03 Feb 2022) BEIJING EXPERIENCE She attended the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing as a medical administrator, having originally hoped to compete at the Games in athletics. "Now that I look back, even though it was incredibly challenging I learnt so much about myself, because going into it I thought there was no way I could be any more motivated." (kerwinrae.com, 28 Aug 2017; paralympic.org.au, 13 Jul 2009) OCCUPATION She is a qualified osteopath with her own practice in Melbourne, VIC, Australia. (paralympic.org.au, 15 Dec 2023; commonwealthgames.com.au, 20 Jul 2022) FURTHER EDUCATION In 2009 she graduated with a master's degree in osteopathy from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology [RMIT University] in Australia. In December 2023 she received an Honorary Doctorate of Social Science from the same university. (LinkedIn profile, 14 Aug 2024; vis.org.au, 13 Dec 2023)

Sporting Relatives: Her mother Doreen has won multiple gold medals at the world indoor rowing championships. (mountainwatch.com, 12 Mar 2010)