Gary Hooper (Paralympian)

Gary Leslie Hooper, MBE[1] (born 11 February 1939) is an Australian Paralympic competitor. He won seven medals at three Paralympics from 1960 to 1968.

Gary Hooper
Personal information
Full nameGary Leslie Hooper
Nationality Australia
Born11 February 1939
Sydney
Medal record
Athletics
Paralympic Games
1960 RomeMen's Precision Javelin B
1964 Tokyo Men's Wheelchair Dash above T10
1964 Tokyo Men's Wheelchair Relay above T10
1968 Tel AvivMen's 100 m Wheelchair A
1968 Tel AvivMen's 4x40 m Relay open
1968 Tel AvivMen's Shot Put B
Weightlifting
Paralympic Games
1964 Tokyo Men's Lightweight

Personal

Hooper was born on 11 February 1939 in Sydney.[2] He never knew his biological father, and lived with his stepfather.[2] He contracted polio at the age of eleven, and lost the use of both his legs.[2] He grew up near Newcastle in Toronto. [3]

He worked as a bookkeeper, and later as a public speaker and accessibility consultant.[2] He was a judge in fencing at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.[2] He has been married to Janice since 1964, and they have two sons.[2]

Career

At the 1960 Rome Games, Hooper won a silver medal in the Men's Precision Javelin B event.[4] At the 1964 Tokyo Games, he won a gold medal in the Men's Wheelchair Dash above T10 event and two silver medals in the Men's Wheelchair Relay above T10 and Men's Lightweight weightlifting events;[4][5] he also competed in swimming and wheelchair fencing at the games.[4] At the 1968 Tel Aviv Games, he won a gold medal in the Men's 100 m Wheelchair A event and two silver medals in the Men's 4x40 m Relay open and Men's Shot Put B events; he also competed in swimming, weightlifting, and wheelchair fencing at the games.[4] He participated in the 1962, 1966, and 1970 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Perth, Jamaica, and Edinburgh, respectively.[2]

Recognition

Hooper became a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1969 "for achievements at the Paraplegic Olympics".[1]

References
  1. "Hooper, Gary Leslie, MBE". It's an Honour. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  2. "Gary Hooper interviewed by Rob Willis". Australian Centre for Paralympic Studies oral history project. 19 August 2010. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  3. Robertson, Lauren (15 February 2019). "There's something about Gary". Paralympics Australia. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  4. "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 18 February 2012.
  5. International Paralympic Committee; Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee (2000). Paralympic Games results : Rome 1960 to Atlanta 1996. Sydney, Australia: Sydney Paralympic Organising Committee. p. 520. OCLC 223030936.
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