The BLIND para-triathlete who has attempted to climb Mt Everest and competed on Dancing With The Stars is making his debut Commonwealth Games his sporting swansong
- Legendary Paralympian Gerrard Gosens is preparing for sporting swansong
- Para-triathlete will compete in Sunday’s Commonwealth Games men’s event
- Blind athlete previously represented Australia in goalball as well as athletics
Veteran blind Paralympian Gerrard Gosens has confirmed the Birmingham Commonwealth Games will be his sporting swansong.
Gosens, 52, who bravely attempted to climb Mt Everest in 2005 and previously competed on Dancing With The Stars, will line up in the men’s PTVI triathlon.
Having represented Australia in multiple sports for over 30 years, Gosens has declared Birmingham will be the final time he graces the international stage.
He first wore the green and gold at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta.
‘It’s time to hang up the boots and support other athletes on their journey to represent Australia,’ he said.
Veteran blind Paralympian Gerrard Gosens has announced the Commonwealth Games will be his sporting swansong
Gosens, 52, who attempted to climb Mt Everest and competed on Dancing With The Stars (pictured in 2009) will line up in the men’s PTVI triathlon in Birmingham
Gerrard Gosens (pictured left) with his guide Hayden Armstrong ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games
‘This is my swansong, I’ll give it everything I’ve got until the last line.’
Happy to sign off on his own terms, Gosens’ preparation for Birmingham were almost derailed in March.
A serious bike accident left him hospitalised for more than two weeks with multiple broken bones, and Gosens is now sporting a titanium collarbone and eight titanium ribs.
When he isn’t running, swimming or on the bike, Gosens’ other life passion is chocolate.
He has been a chocolatier for 15 years, hand-making tasty treats out of his family business in Brisbane.
Having represented Australia in multiple sports for over 30 years, Gosens has declared Birmingham will be the final time he graces the international stage
Gosens attempted to climb Mt Everest in 2005 – but his dreams were dashed when he fell down a crevasse his guide forgot to tell him about
Gosens, who was awarded an OAM in 2012 for service to people who are blind or vision impaired as well as his personal contribution in the field of sport, previously represented Australia in athletics and goalball.
The father of two will soon switch his focus to mentoring emerging stars, and he acknowledged acceptance of Paralympic athletes has increased over time.
‘If you look back to the 1990 Commonwealth Games, back then there was a lot of resistance towards people with disabilities participating,’ he told the ABC.
‘Now there’s a real inclusion across a whole range of different sports, but the pathway (programs) still need a lot of work.’
Gosens is in action in the men’s PTVI triathlon on Sunday night (AEST).
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