Rowan Crothers

Started: He took up swimming at age seven and began competing in Para swimming in 2009. (futurelearn.com, 24 Jan 2018; paralympic.org.au, 01 Sep 2016) Reason: His interest in Para sport was sparked by seeing Australian Para swimmer Peter Leek win gold in the SM8 200m individual medley at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. "I have always been bad at sports but I always loved swimming. When I saw the Paralympic Games I realised that I could be a great swimmer, just different. I want other kids with disabilities to know they can be great swimmers too." (paralympic.org.au, 01 Oct 2016; myparalympicdream.enoggera.net, 11 Aug 2011) Ambition: To record a swim of under 50 seconds in the 100m freestyle at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (heraldsun.com.au, 09 Feb 2024) Awards: He was named Paralympic Swimmer of the Year at the Swimming Australia Awards in 2017, 2022, and 2023. (swimmingworldmagazine.com, 10 Nov 2023; swimming.org.au, 31 Aug 2022; swimswam.com, 06 Nov 2017) In 2022 he received the Medal of the Order of Australia [OAM] for services to sport. (Instagram profile, 26 Jan 2022) He was named 2014 Junior Male Athlete of the Year and Senior Male Athlete of the Year by the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association in Queensland, Australia. (sportingwheelies.org.au, 21 Nov 2014) He was named 2012/13 Best Para Swimmer by the Brisbane Swimming Association in Queensland, Australia. (Facebook page, 13 Apr 2017) He received the 2012 YoungStar Award for Sport from North West News in Queensland, Australia. (couriermail.com.au, 16 Jun 2012) Additional Info: OTHER ACTIVITIES In February 2022 he became chairman of the advisory board of Choice, Passion, Life [CPL], an organisation that provides support to people with impairments in Australia. In early 2022 he was also named as part of the four-person Para Athlete Leadership Group that will lead the Australian Para swimming team until after the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. "The Paralympic programme has come a long way since I first joined the team in 2013, and I have watched myself and others grow in many aspects over this time. One of my primary goals as a leader is to build further upon the performance-driven mentality within the team, creating a more unified team with a greater ability to achieve results both individually and as a team." (LinkedIn profile, 28 Apr 2022; swimswam.com, 21 Feb 2022; melbournesportscentres.com.au, 13 Feb 2020; Twitter profile, 13 Apr 2017) E-SPORTS He has played video games since he was young and spent time as a professional E-sports player for 'Valorant'. "When I was younger I was bullied quite ruthlessly. I didn't feel like I had any outlets where I could prove myself to be successful or to find friends. So, for a very long time when I was younger, I would stay at home and play video games. I just kept trying to get better and better because it's something I could do with regular people. So, whilst I was swimming competitively by the time I was in high school, I was spending a lot of my free time playing these games because it was something that was inclusive. [In the lead-up to the 2020 Paralympic Games] I had to retire from playing video games competitively because it just took up so much effort. I couldn't balance the late nights of E-sports with the early mornings of swimming. After the Tokyo Paralympics, I realised that the impact that little old Rowan could have on the [E-sports] community was massive. I wanted to get back into gaming and E-sports, not to be a professional player, but to promote the incredible messages of inclusion. In gaming and E-sports, the disability is irrelevant. It's just everyone together, trying to be the best they can be." (AORUS YouTube channel, 29 Oct 2023; AORUS Facebook page, 28 Dec 2022; theswinstandard.net, 04 Oct 2021; ftw.usatoday.com, 26 Aug 2021; ginx.tv, 25 Aug 2021) DOCUMENTARY In 2020 he appeared in a documentary named 'No Distinguishing Features', which followed six people with an impairment. "I hope that when people watch the film, they'll learn that my most significant hardships have not been overcoming my disability, but rather overcoming the limitations, boundaries, and expectations that others place on me because of my disability." (No Distinguishing Features Facebook page, 28 Aug 2020; Instagram profile, 24 Aug 2020)