Joseph Walker (swimmer)

Joseph William Walker

Joseph Walker with his nine gold medals from the Madrid Games
Personal information
Full name	Joseph William Walker
Nickname	Joe
Nationality	Australia
Born	(1971-06-20) 20 June 1971 (age 53)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	freestyle, butterfly
Medal record Swimming (S14) Paralympic Games for Persons with Mental Handicap 1992 Madrid Men's 100 m Freestyle 1992 Madrid Men's 200 m Freestyle 1992 Madrid Men's 50 m Butterfly 1992 Madrid Men's 100 m Butterfly 1992 Madrid Men's 4 x 50 m Freestyle Relay 1992 Madrid Men's 4 x 100 m Freestyle Relay 1992 Madrid Men's 4 x 50 m Medley Relay 1992 Madrid Men's 4 x 100 m Medley Relay IPC World Swimming Championships 1994 Malta Men's 100 m Freestyle S14 1994 Malta Men's 50 m Butterfly 1994 Malta Men's 100 m Breaststroke SB14 1994 Malta Men's 50 m Freestyle S14 1994 Malta Men's 50 m Backstroke S14

Joseph William Walker, OAM is an Australian swimmer with an intellectual disability. At the 1992 Paralympic Games for Persons with Mental Handicap, he won nine gold medals from nine events.

Career

Walker started his swimming career with Eric Arnold's BHP Hunter Swim Club in the Newcastle, New South Wales area. He started training seriously at the age of 15.

At the 1992 Paralympic Games for Persons with Mental Handicap in Madrid, Spain, he won nine gold medals in the Men's 100 m Freestyle, Men's 200 m Freestyle, Men's 400 m Freestyle, Men's 50 m Butterfly, Men's 100 m Butterfly, Men's 4 x 50 m Freestyle Relay, Men's 4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay, Men's 4 x 50 m Medley Relay and Men's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay. ^{[1] [2]} He broke two individual world records - Men's 100 m Freestyle and Men's 100 m butterfly. ^[3] This performance was unmatched in Australian Olympic and Paralympic history at the time. After the Games, he was awarded an Australian Institute of Sport Athletes with a Disability scholarship. ^[4]

At the 1994 IPC Swimming World Championships, Valletta, Malta, he won two gold medals in Men's 100 m Freestyle S14 and Men's 50 m Butterfly S14, two silver medals in Men's 100 m Breaststroke SB14 and Men's 50 m Freestyle S14 and bronze medal in the Men's 50 m Backstroke S14.

He was not selected for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics ^[5] and took up basketball. He represented New South Wales for many years and represented Australia at the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland where his team took out the Silver Medal. ^[6]

Recognition

• 1993 - OAM for service to sport as a gold medallist at the Madrid 1992 Paralympic Games. ^[7]
• 2000 - 2000 Sydney Paralympics Torch Relay ^[8]
• Hunter Region Sporting Hall of Fame ^[9]

References

1. "History in Madrid". Link: 28. November 1992.
2. "Madrid 1992 Paralympic Medallists". paralympicanorak. 14 October 2012. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
3. Australian Paralympic Federation. "Media Releases Days 1 - 7, September 1992".{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
4. Excellence : the Australian Institute of Sport. Canberra: Australian Sports Commission. 2002. p. 123. ISBN   1-74013-060-X.
5. FitzSimons, Peter (9 May 1996). "The List That Gives 162 Athletes Cause To Cheer". Sydney Morning Herald.
6. "Games Management System Results". 11th Special Olympics World Summer Games Archived website. Archived from the original on 29 November 2003. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
7. "John William Walker". It's An Honour. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
8. "Hunter torch bearers". Newcastle Herald. 13 October 2000.
9. "Gallery - Hall of Fame athletes". Newcastle Herald. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2015.