Paralympics – Outback athlete wins Gold

Paralympian Alexandria Eves PHOTO © John Bartlett

Paralympian Alexandria Eves is now a gold medal winner after a stellar performance at the Oceania Games in Townsville last month.

Alex is a former Bourke and Cobar resident who has set blistering times in her speciality sprint events over the past year and qualified to compete at the Oceania Games.

She won gold in the T36 100 metre sprint, and while she didn’t qualify for the upcoming Dubai Para Athletics Games in Dubai later this year, she did make the podium with a gold medal around her neck.

Her goal now is not just to compete to her best but to share the message of inclusion for all athletes, disabled or able-bodied.

“How the races work is I have to race my best time against the world record for my type of event,” Alex said.

“So for running the closest time to the world record, I won Gold and will now represent Australia.

“There were other categories in the races I was in - there was a blind girl and amputees and we all run for the closest time to our particular world record.

“I compete in T36 and set the closest time.”

Twenty three countries from the Oceania district competed at the Townsville games, including athletics powerhouses New Zealand, Fiji and Samoa.

Read more in the printed edition of the Western Herald.