born march australian paralympic alpine track field athlete tandem australia second female winter australian woman win medal vancouver games competed won bronze medal women giant visually impaired legally blind represents australia internationally sports skiing athletics cycling skiing achievements represented australia athletics summer paralympics london won silver bronze medal long jump respectively represented state victoria junior basketball selected australian cycling team pilot rio paralympics long term goal australian medal summer winter paralympics olympics personal born march lives suburb graduated master registered time vancouver winter paralympics dating american paralympic sitting ski ambassador seeing legally blind best disease rare condition started lose teenager having received results tests competing national championships selected compete beijing paralympics long jumping shot failed classification test said right eye good november classification revisited deterioration vision deemed eligible compete aiming australian paralympic competitor win medals summer sports basketball played basketball able bodied competitors having participated elite level sports started lose vision goal keeper goal attack represented victoria times named emergency australian team victorian league championship division represented basketball represented years represented victoria country time goal professional basketball player played representing despite low vision missing games paralympic training program won grade best award representing having taken sport working holiday colorado found winter paralympic games competitive skiing australian woman win medal australia second female winter given opportunity compete highest levels skiing identified talent search experience blind competes guide guide coached coached current head coach winter paralympic program australian training base training centre located stadium south melbourne actively training days week individual training sessions hours total sessions end week represented australia new zealand winter games won gold medal january competed alpine skiing world cup event austria won bronze medal start games competed world cup events 24th birthday won bronze medal vancouver games visually impaired event australian woman second time hill finished times competed women visually impaired event games finishing seventh issues caused problems communication new_south_wales weeks taking new guide won silver medals giant guided won bronze medal women giant visually impaired came seventh women giant visually impaired australia items related display bronze medal win vancouver games competitive athletics athletics competitor competing long jump shot involved athletics learning paralympics skills assessment try shot despite dressed casual athletic attire managed throw met paralympic qualifying distance year training increased initial distance metres personal best throw metres holds records classification including australian records long jump shot australian record athletics coaches included january competed finished second long jump throw event throw metres appearance championships marked return sport having taken break compete skiing competed women throw events finishing fifth sixth respectively disappointed result having suffered severe tear training forced use month leading competition interview expressed competing summer winter meant said love unique cultural experience host city brings ultimately competing country worlds biggest sporting stage pinnacle brings memories experiences lifetime competitive cycling encouraged cycling coach decision transfer cycling easier favorite athletics event long jump included athletics program believes track cycling easier downhill skiing said guide connected like tandem need ski high speeds incredibly intense constantly change stable environment cycling italy pilot international debut won gold medal world record time bronze medal women time trial
Jessica Gallagher