INSPIRATIONAL Paralympic champion Kelly Cartwright will be special guest at Portland District Health’s 2019 charity golf event.
While in Portland for the event, which will be held on March 1, Cartwright will present golf prizes and deliver a motivational dinner speech.
Cancer survivor, Paralympic gold and silver medallist and multiple world record holder, Cartwright was named as athlete of the year in 2012 – the first Paralympian to be given such an honour in Australia.
In 2014 she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for service to sport as a gold medallist in the 2012 London Paralympic Games.
At age 15, after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer in her knee, Cartwright had her right leg amputated in November 2004.
After a painstaking three months of rehabilitation she was fitted with a prosthetic leg.
Having learned to walk again and facing the reality that her netball career was over, she looked for a new direction – running.
She aimed to become the best above-knee amputee 100-metre sprinter in the world.
Her list of achievements show she achieved her goal, with Australian, world and Paralympics championships and records in sprints, long jump and most recently power lifting.
Cartwright also became the first above-knee amputee woman to climb to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in 2009 and away from the track she became a mum for the first time with Max born in 2016.
She is also an ambassador for Make-A-Wish Foundation Australia, Rare Cancers Australia and The START Foundation assisting amputees to reach their sporting dream.
PDH and the community have raised more than $120,000 from the previous six golf events, with the money always dedicated to specific medical equipment to enhance services to the community.
The 2019 event will raise money to replace three defibrillators at $16,000 each.
CEO Chris Giles said the new defibrillators would be life-saving pieces of equipment for critically ill patients.
The day will also feature hole-in-one competitions, music, food, auctions, raffles and lucky door prizes.
For further information contact Carolyn Malseed on 5522 1182 or camalseed.pdh@swarh.vic.gov.au.
