Nic Beveridge was 17 years old when he woke one morning to discover he was paralysed from the waist down. He had transverse myelitis, a rare neurological condition which attacks the spinal cord, and his was particularly aggressive.
Although Nic was a dominant presence on the cross-country track, in the pool and on the hockey field during his teens, it was not until a stint in hospital during the London 2012 Paralympic Games that he began to research his options in Para-sport. Inspired by Bill Chaffey, a five-time world champion in Para-triathlon, Nic contacted Triathlon Queensland and was classified.
He made his international debut the following year at the 2013 International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Triathlon Grand Final in London, England, where he placed 17th, and his Paralympic debut three years later at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, where he finished in ninth place. For a first Paralympic Games, this was a strong showing by Nic, and his improvement since then has been dramatic.
Representing Australia at the 2017 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Nic came within seven seconds of a place on the podium. He won a silver medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, QLD, and tasted gold medal success for the first time at the 2018 ITU Para-triathlon World Cup in Sarasota, USA. Since then, he has finished on top of the podium twice – no doubt in part thanks to a brief partnership with coach Louise Sauvage, one of Australia’s greatest ever wheelchair racers.
At his second Paralympics at Tokyo 2020, Nick finished 7th with a time of 1:04.50.
Outside of training and competition, Nic loves to travel, and is embracing the opportunities he has to see the world through sport.
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