Ray Barrett (athlete) facts for kids
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Nationality |  Australia |
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| Born | 1952 New South Wales |
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| Died | August 2000 (aged 47–48) Queensland, Australia |
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Medal record
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Raymond Barrett (1952 – 2000) was an Indigenous Australian Paralympic athlete. He became a paraplegic after a car accident. Before this, he was a champion young athlete in sports for people without disabilities. Ray won a bronze medal at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Germany. He also did very well at other big sports events. A sports field in Sydney is named after him.
Contents
Ray Barrett's Early Life and Journey
Growing Up and an Accident
Ray Barrett was born in 1952. His family were Indigenous Australians from the Wiradjuri people. They were farming families in New South Wales.
In 1965, when Ray was 13, a car accident changed his life. He was riding his bike home from Heathcote High School. The accident left him a paraplegic, meaning he used a wheelchair. He spent a year in the hospital recovering.
Before the accident, Ray was a fantastic athlete. He was a champion archer. He also broke records in shot put, discus, and running. After leaving the hospital, he joined the Paraplegic Association of NSW. He finished high school at a special school for students with disabilities.
Training and Work
Ray later trained to be a printer. He was one of the first people to operate a special printing press from a wheelchair. An organization called NADOW even named him "Trainee of the Year."
Ray worked as an electrical technician for eight years. He worked Monday to Friday. In the evenings, he focused on his athletic training.
A Field Named After Ray
A sports complex at Port Hacking High School in Sydney is named 'The Ray Barrett Field'. This was to honor Ray's great sportsmanship. The field was built on what used to be a wasteland. Students planted 60 trees around it in 1977. This field is now used for all community sports.
Ray Barrett was also honored in a book. This book celebrated 100 years of the Sutherland Shire.
Ray Barrett's Sports Career
Helping Out and Getting Support
Ray Barrett was also an official in sports. He was a timekeeper for different athletic clubs. He even helped at the national games for athletes without disabilities.
To compete at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Germany, athletes needed money. Ray needed $1800. A local club helped him raise $1000. They also asked the Sutherland Shire Council for help.
Ray also wrote to many companies for sponsorship. He sold raffle tickets at a shopping center. The community's kindness helped him get the money he needed.
Major Sporting Achievements
Here are some of Ray Barrett's biggest achievements in sports:
- 1970: Ray won 9 gold medals at the National Paraplegic & Quadriplegic Games in Melbourne. He was chosen as a timekeeper for the national games. At 18, he competed at the Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Scotland. He won 2 silver medals in wheelchair dash and 1 bronze in wheelchair basketball.
- 1972: At the 14th Annual Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Games, he won 1st place in shot put, wheelchair dash, and slalom. At the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Germany, he won a bronze medal in the 100-meter wheelchair dash.
- 1973: At the Paraplegic and Quadriplegic Games in Adelaide, he won 1st in javelin, 2nd in shot put, and 3rd in discus. At the National Games in New South Wales, he won a silver medal in the 100-meter sprint. He also won a gold medal in the 4 x 100-meter men's relay. He even won a silver medal in fencing.
- 1974: At the 1974 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in New Zealand, Ray won gold, silver, and bronze medals. He set world records in the wheelchair dash. He also won a bronze medal in wheelchair basketball.
- 1974: At the International Stoke Mandeville Games in England, he won a gold in wheelchair sprint. He also won bronze medals in wheelchair basketball and slalom racing.
After the Stoke Mandeville Games, Ray traveled through Europe. He won a gold medal in a disabled sports competition in Holland. He and his friend, Hugh Patterson, were even asked to coach wheelchair basketball in Switzerland.
Later Life
After returning home, Ray was in another car accident. This accident caused more injuries. He spent two years in the hospital. Later, he moved to the Gold Coast in Queensland. Ray Barrett passed away in August 2000. He lived for 35 years after his first accident.
Images for kids
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Ray Barrett (right) poses with fellow New South Wales Paralympian Terry Giddy.
See also
In Spanish: Ray Barrett para niños
