TAREE-born Kathleen Murdoch has this week named in the Australian Paralympic rowing team for this year’s Paralympic Games in Rio.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It will be the first Paralympic Games for 29-year-old Murdoch, who has her eyes firmly on a podium finish. She will compete in the legs, trunk and arms mixed coxed four; the first time Australia will compete in the boat class at a Paralympic Games.
Murdoch, who was diagnosed with cone-rod dystrophy, a degenerative eye condition, has been rowing with the Australian team since 2014, and is thrilled to be selected.
“It feels like it has been a really long road to get to this point, which has involved so many people, so for me, it feels absolutely fantastic and it has made all that work worthwhile,” she said.
“I really want to know what my results for Rio will be – the anticipation for racing is really building and I just want to get out there and do it.’’
“I want to be able to walk away feeling that we have given it everything that we possible could have – I want the whole crew to feel that, the satisfaction, that we have got a job to do and we have done it.”
Now living in Penrith , Murdoch was encouraged to take up rowing by her father who had competed when he was younger in Ireland, as it was a sport she didn’t need her sight for.
“Dad was a former rower, and he thought that it would be an excellent sport for me given that you row backwards so you don’t need to see where you are going and you have a coxswain telling you what to do.”
This will be the third time rowing will be contested at the Paralympic Games after being introduced at the Beijing Games in 2008. With only one medal from each Games in the sport so far, 2016 Australian Paralympic Team Chef de Mission Kate McLoughlin hopes to see Australia turn both silver medals into a Paralympic gold.
“I would like to congratulate Kate on being selected to compete in the 2016 Paralympic Games,” McLoughlin said.
“It has been an exciting year for Kate, as she makes history as part of the first Australian Paralympic mixed coaxed four crew in Rio.
“I look forward to seeing her compete in Rio.”
The Rio 2016 Paralympic Games will take place from September 7 through to September 18.