Stephen Robert Eaton, OAM[1] (born 15 September 1975) is an Australian athlete with cerebral palsy from Toowoomba, Queensland who competes at the national and international level in discus throwing and shot put at events such as the Paralympic Games and IPC Athletics World Championships.[2]
 2000 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Eaton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Stephen Robert Eaton | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality |  Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 15 September 1975 Toowoomba, Queensland | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Eaton first began to participate in track and field events at the age of eight, under the guidance of coach Anne Marsh.[2] He represented Australia at a Paralympic level for the first time in 1993, and won two gold medals at the 1994 FESPIC Games.[2] He won a bronze medal in the Men's Discus F32–33 event at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics.[3] He won a silver medal in the men's discus at the 1998 IPC Athletics World Championships.[4] He had an Australian Institute of Sport Athletics with a Disability scholarship from 1997 to 2000.[2] He was also supported by the Queensland Academy of Sport.[5]
He won a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in the men's discus F34 event,[3] for which he received a Medal of the Order of Australia.[1] In 2000, he received an Australian Sports Medal.[6]
Eaton has highlighted the therapeutic value of sport for anyone with a disability. He commented "If I didn't play sport I don't know what I would do. I get to meet people and to travel."[2]
References
edit- ^ a b "Eaton, Stephen Robert, OAM". It's an Honour. Retrieved 17 January 2012.
- ^ a b c d e "Childhood coach inspires Paralympian". Australian Sports Commission. 11 October 2000. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2012.
- ^ a b "Stephen Eaton". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- ^ "AIS Athletes leave their mark on IPC World Track and Field Championships Fi". Sports Chat (49): 1. August 1998.
- ^ "Elite athletes inspire school kids to get active". Government of Queensland. 26 April 2006. Retrieved 6 October 2012.
- ^ "Eaton, Stephen Robert: Australian Sports Medal". It's an Honour. Retrieved 17 January 2012.