Curtis McGrath


Curtis Wain McGrath, is an Australian paracanoeist who took up canoeing competitively after having both of his legs amputated as a result of a mine blast whilst serving in the Australian Army in Afghanistan. McGrath has won ten gold medals at ICF Paracanoe World Championships between 2014 and 2019. He won the gold medal in the Men's KL2 at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.

Personal

McGrath was born in New Zealand on 31 March 1988. His parents are Kimberley and Paul, and he has two siblings – Brent and Sophia. He grew up in Queenstown, New Zealand and attended Wakatipu High School. As a ten year old, his farming family moved to the Western Australian Wheatbelt but then returned to Queenstown. In his last year at high school, he was awarded the Bruce Grant Memorial Trophy for Outdoor Education. His family later relocated to Brisbane, Queensland. McGrath had a desire to become a jet pilot but became a combat engineer.

Military career

McGrath joined the Australian Army in 2006. On 23 August 2012, as a combat engineer with the 6th Engineer Support Regiment, he was badly injured by an Improvised explosive device during operations in Khas Urozgan District, Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan. The explosion resulted in McGrath losing his left leg below the knee and his right leg at the knee. He suffered shattered bones in his wrist, burnt left arm, perforated ear drums and large wound at the back of his thigh. He was originally taken to an American medical base in Germany and then to Royal Brisbane Hospital for rehabilitation. Within three months, he was walking on prosthetic legs.
At the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team Launch in Sydney, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull made the following comments about McGrath:

Sporting career

Prior to his military injury, McGrath was a keen white water canoeist, rugby player and swimmer. He took up canoeing and swimming as part of his rehabilitation. His first disability sport experience was at the United States Marine Games in San Diego where he won three gold medals in swimming. In devoting his energy to sport, McGrath commented: "In sport, you are getting your body to do things you don't do every day. It helps your body to adjust more easily to everyday things."
In October 2013, McGrath, with his father Paul, participated in a 1,000 km paddle from Sydney to Queensland to raise funds for the Mates4Mates.
McGrath took up paracanoe in December 2013. He originally competed in V1 in the TA. In 2014, he won the Australian and Oceania Championships in V1 200 m, 500 m and 1000 m events. He is now classified as a KL2 paracanoeist. Almost two years after losing his legs in Afghanistan, he won the gold medal in the V1 200 TA event in world record time at the 2014 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Moscow, Russia. After winning the gold medal McGrath commented: "Even when I was on the stretcher getting carried to the medevac chopper I said I was going to be in the Paralympics, and this is the first step". His aim is to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympics, where paracanoeing makes it debut. In September 2014, he captained the Australian Team at inaugural Invictus Games in London, and won a bronze medal in swimming and made the archery final.
In March 2015, due to the International Paralympic Committee deciding not run the Va'a events in the 2016 Summer Paralympics, McGrath has switched to kayak events. At the 2015 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships, in Milan, Italy, he won a gold medal in the Men's V–1 200 m VL2 and a silver medal in the Men's K–1 200 m VL2. After winning the silver medal in the Paralympic Games event, McGrath said: "This is a whole new ball game for me, the boats are a lot faster, so I had to learn pretty quick".
At the 2016 ICF Paracanoe World Championships in Duisburg, Germany, McGrath won two gold medals in Men's KL2 200m and VL2 200m. In winning the Men's KL2 200m, a Paralympic Games event, he defeated six time world champion Markus Swoboda.
McGrath competed at 2016 Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida, where he won IR4 one minute row. He also competed in swimming events.
McGrath fulfilled his goal of winning the Men's KL2 200 m at the 2016 Rio Paralympics in a Paralympic record time of 42.190. It was Australia's first gold medal in paracanoe at the Paralympics. He was goven the honour of being the Australian flag bearer at the Rio Paralympics Closing Ceremony.
In February 2017, McGrath participated in a Rowing Australia Tokyo Paralympics training camp in Canberra. At the 2017 Australian Rowing Championships, Sydney International Regatta Centre, McGrath won the Trunk and Arms Men’s Single Scull, in his first ever race.
At the 2017 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Račice, Czech Republic, McGrath won gold medals in Men's KL2 200m and VL2 200m. McGrath won gold medals in the Men's KL2 200m and Men's VL3 200m at the 2018 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Montemor-o-Velho, Portugal. It was eight world championship gold medal.
At the 2019 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Szeged, Hungary, McGrath won gold medals in the Men's KL2 200m and Men's VL3 200m.
McGrath lives on the Gold Coast, Queensland and trains on the water at Vasity Lakes. He is coached by Andrea King, head coach of the Australian Paracanoe program. McGrath is supported by , branch of the RSL Queensland, a charity that provides support for injured ex-servicemen and women.

Recognition