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| Personal information | |||||||||||
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| Nationality |  Australia | ||||||||||
| Born | 27 April 1944 Castlecrag, Australia | ||||||||||
Medal record
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Jeff Simmonds (born 27 April 1944) is a former swimmer and athlete who participated at the 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympics, winning a silver medal. [1] Before being a Paralympian, he was a notable rugby league half back with North Sydney Leagues Club. [2] His rugby league career ended after a series of concussions and a serious fall.
Simmonds was born on 27 April 1944 in the Sydney suburb of Castlecrag. At the age of 21, in September 1965 he played in the premiership first grade preliminary final against Souths where he suffered concussion. He then went to Queensland for end of season games where he suffered further concussions. Finally, he frll from a hotel's fire escape in the Queensland town of Sarina. This fall, according to Simmonds, fractured his spine a few inches above the waist and he was then left a paraplegic. [3]
Following the accident, Simmonds, a patient at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, received a visit from Kevin Betts, remedial gymnast at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centrewho encouraged Simmonds to get back into sport. [4] On moving to Mount Wilga, Simmonds recalls his rehabilitation and sports training under Betts,"He never lets you get the idea he's satisfied with what you are doing. That is his way of making you train harder." [3] In moving into Paralympic sport, The North Shore Clarion reported "Jeff has two things in his favour, superb physical condition and courage" [5]
Before his accident he was a compositor/linotype printer. [6] After his accident he worked in various roles at the North Sydney Leagues Club in clerical work and was the club's first time Coaching Director, and Secretary to the Under 23 Side. [5] His philosophy on life was "I'm normal and that's the way I expect to be treated". [3]
At the 1968 Australian Paraplegic Games in Perth, he won two gold medals in backstroke and breaststroke. His breaststroke time of 64.1 seconds equalled his Australian record. [6] At the 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympics, he won a silver medal in the Men's 50 m Breaststroke class 3 complete event and narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in backstroke and wheelchair sprint. [1] [4] At the 1970 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Edinburgh, he won two bronze medals in breaststroke and backstroke. [4]
In 1983, the Australian Wheelchair Tennis Association selected Simmonds together with nine other wheelchair athletes as linesmen for the 1983 Custom Credit Indoor Tennis Championships. This followed the suggestion of John Newcombe, famous Australian tennis champion. Simmonds, secretary of New South Wales Wheelchair Tennis Association, assured the public that the linesmen would be able to handle John McEnroe and other competitors. [7] Well-known Australian radio announcer John Laws informed the public that "Jeff is one of the tough, no nonsense linesmen Superbrat will encounter at this year's Custom Credit Indoor Championship." [8] According to Newcombe, most linesmen selected were able bodied before their injury, “They have great reflexes and good eyesight and they are involved in the game already so they should make good linesmen”. [7]
Dylan Martin Alcott, is an Australian former wheelchair tennis player, former wheelchair basketball player, radio host and motivational speaker. Alcott was a member of the Australia men's national wheelchair basketball team, known colloquially as the Australian "Rollers". At the age of 17, he became the youngest Rollers gold medal winner, at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, and was the youngest to compete in the wheelchair basketball competition. In 2014, he returned to wheelchair tennis with the aim of participating at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, at which he won gold medals in the Men's Quad Singles and Doubles. He was named the 2016 Australian Paralympian of the Year due to his outstanding achievements at Rio.
Australia competed at the 1968 Summer Paralympics in Tel Aviv, Israel. The Games significantly expanded in 1968 when compared to previous years, as did the Australian team and the events included in the Games. Mexico City were originally to host the 1968 Paralympics, however, they were moved to Tel Aviv in Israel.
Sweden was one of twenty-eight nations that sent a delegation to the 1968 Summer Paralympics in Tel Aviv, Israel from November 4 to 13, 1968. The team finished seventeenth in the medal table and won eleven medals: one gold, six silver and four bronze. Thirty-two Swedish athletes took part in the Games; twenty-seven men and five women.
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Eileen Mary Perrottet was an Australian physiotherapist, noted for her contributions to the Australian Paralympic Movement, a senior physiotherapist at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Hospital in the Sydney suburb of Hornsby.
Kevin Francis Betts, OAM was a sports administrator known for his work in the Paralympic movement in Australia and his founding work related to wheelchair sports in New South Wales.
Joshua Anthony "Josh" Hose, is a wheelchair rugby player. He has won gold medals at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Paralympics and competed at the 2020 Summer Paralympics.
Peter Hill is an Australian Paralympic swimmer and athlete, who won two silver medals at the 1980 Arnhem Paralympics.
Maria Scutti was an Italian paralympic athlete who won 15 medals, ten of which were gold, at the 1960 Summer Paralympics in Rome.
John MacDonald Falconar Grant, AO, OBE was an Australian neurosurgeon and disability sport administrator. He was president of the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games Organising Committee. He played a leading role in the development of disability sport in Australia.
Anthony Eric "Tony" South OAM AM is an Australian Paralympic archer who won a gold medal and two silver medals at the 1968 Summer Paralympics and a bronze medal at the 1972 Summer Paralympics.
The second Commonwealth Paraplegic Games were held in Kingston, Jamaica from 14 to 20 August 1966. There were 133 athletes from 10 countries. The Games were opened by Prince Philip.
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