Curtis McGrath
The Frame & Truss Manufacturers Association of Australia (FTMA) has announced that they have locked in soldier-turned-sporting superstar, Curtis McGrath as the key note speaker for the 2019 FTMA Australia National Conference. FTMA Australia made the decision to include a key note speaker as in life as well as business there are challenges and hurdles to overcome. Source: Timberbiz
The FTMA Australia National Conference which is sponsored by MiTek Australia, is being held at RACV Royal Pines on the 26 March 2019.
Mr McGrath’s story is an inspirational one that will leave a lasting impression. He is a para-canoeist like no other.
On the 23 August 2012, young soldier Curtis McGrath’s life changed forever. The decorated Sapper was two months into a tour of Taliban-rife areas of Afghanistan when he stepped on a homemade landmine, otherwise known as an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). The then 24-year-old tragically lost both his legs in the blast.
Fully aware of his grim situation and partly to maintain consciousness as a survival mechanism, he joked with those helping him about becoming a Paralympian. He didn’t know what sport he was going to do, but his positive outlook and determination to rebound and get on with achieving his driving ambitions is what has made him get to where he is today.
He tried his hand at a few sports but settled on canoeing, an activity he’d dabbled in at school. In 2015, the International Paralympic Committee made the decision to replace the outrigger canoe with the sprint kayak. Curtis has had to quickly adapt to the kayak to be eligible for the Paralympics. He trained 12 times a week during the build-up to the competition.
He has since won two gold medals at the 2016, 2017 and 2018 ICF Paracanoe World Championships and a Paralympic gold medal in the Men’s 200m KL2 kayak event at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.
In February 2017 Curtis became the first Paralympic athlete to be honoured by being named ‘Sportsman of the Year’ at the World Paddle Awards and Australian Canoeing Paracanoeist of the Year. That same year he was honoured with an Order of Australia Medal.
