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- 11 June 2002
Tribute To Mr Ben Austin
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Page: 2966
The Hon. TONY KELLY [10.21 p.m.]: Tonight I bring to the attention of honourable members the remarkable achievements of local Wellington boy, Ben Austin, a 21-year-old who has been without his left arm since it was amputated at birth. His father, Michael Austin, has been the superintendent of the Wellington pool throughout Ben's life. Ben has trained with his father at that pool. Ben can now swim with one arm better than most people can swim with two arms. His family came from a proud tradition of Labor supporters in Wellington. I am sure that the Hon. John Della Bosca would know his late grandfather, Tom Austin, a life member of the party, and his aunty, Sheila Wallace, another life member. The fact that Ben is a Wellington Country Labor branch member is noteworthy in itself, but tonight I pay tribute to his recent efforts in the swimming pool.
Ben is now recognised as one of Australia's elite swimmers. He will be one of only four Australian swimmers with a disability who competes in the main sports program at the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Ben's record speaks for itself. After coming on in leaps and bounds in 1999, when he was adjudged most improved male swimmer at the State sports centre, he went on to win two silver medals and two bronze medals at the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games: silver medals in the 200 metre individual medley and the 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay, and bronze medals in the 100 metre butterfly and the 4 x 100 metre medley relay. It was a fantastic achievement. Ben's performances have gone from strength to strength in the past two years, since the 2000 Paralympic Games.
At the 2001 Australian championships held in Tasmania last year Ben secured five gold medals. At the United States nationals in Phoenix, Arizona, Ben followed up his Tasmanian results by winning a further four gold medals in a great all-round performance—the 50 metre and 100 metre freestyle, the 100 metre breaststroke and the 100 metre butterfly. He won three gold medals at the meet in Argentina last year, including setting a world record in the 200 metre individual medley. At the recent Australian championships and the trials for the Commonwealth Games Ben won another four gold medals and, in doing so, set a world record in the 100 metre freestyle. It goes without saying that at that meet Ben qualified for a place in the Commonwealth Games team.
Ben's outstanding record, with victories and records in a range of swimming styles and over a range of distances, attests to his talent and determination to be the best. Ben's drive and determination has helped him to hold an amazing seven Australian records in the 200 metre individual medley, 100 metre butterfly, breaststroke and freestyle, and the 50 metre butterfly, breaststroke and freestyle. Ben's next challenge will be as part of the Australian swim team at the twenty-seventh Commonwealth Games at Manchester starting on 25 July. As I said, Ben has the honour of being one of only four Paralympic swimmers chosen to compete in the Commonwealth Games, the first time that Australian Swimming has incorporated elite athletes with a disability into its team.
This is a welcome decision by Australian Swimming, which will help promote the achievements of our disabled athletes. As I speak, Ben is preparing hard for the Games, whilst competing in the United States nationals in Seattle. After that he will attend the second Telstra Grand Prix at Homebush Bay next month before heading off for the Commonwealth Games pre-amp in Stuttgart, Germany. While most of our Commonwealth Games team will be able to wind down after Manchester, Ben and his colleagues will be hard at work preparing for the Paralympic World Championships at Mar Del Plato, Argentina, in early December. As remarked in a recent edition of the Wellington Times, "it's enough to give anyone jetlag." Ben Austin is a credit to his family, his home town of Wellington, his State and his nation. Someone remarked to me today that a lot of good things come out of Wellington. Ben Austin is a notable example. I wish Ben and all our other athletes the best in Manchester.
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