Amanda
Reid

Amanda Reid is a two-time Paralympian and proud Indigenous woman whose career started in the swimming pool. At the 2011 Global Games she claimed a remarkable seven gold medals before winning two silver and three bronze medals at the 2011 Arafura Games. Aged just 15, under the coaching of Jackie Barck, she placed fifth in the 100m breaststroke at the London 2012 Paralympics.

In 2015 Amanda went back to cycling, one of several sports she’d been involved in before swimming. Within just a few months, working with coach Tom Dawson, she broke the national C2 Individual Time Trial record at the NSW Para-cycling Championships and then smashed the national record in the 3km individual pursuit at the 2016 Australian Para-cycling Championships.

Amanda, who has cerebral palsy and an intellectual impairment, established herself on the world stage with silver in the 500m time trial at the 2016 Para Track World Championships, leading to her selection in the 2016 Australian Paralympic Games Team. At Rio, she won a silver medal in the 500m time trial combined classification C1-C2-C3.

Since Rio, Amanda’s success has continued, most notably breaking the world record at the 2019 Para Track World Championships. She was selected for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, where she aimed to win a gold medal in the women’s 500m time trial C1-3 and break the world record.

At the Games, Amanda not only achieved both of these goals, but she also made history by becoming the first Indigenous Australian to win a Paralympic gold medal in cycling. She rode a world record breaking factored time of 35.581 in the women’s 500m time trial C1-3 to become a Paralympic champion.

Away from sport, Amanda enjoys mentoring people who have a disability, disadvantaged kids as well as young Indigenous kids. She loves snowboarding and is a qualified Level 1 snowboard instructor.

Amanda is immensely proud of her Indigenous heritage, stemming from the Wemba Wemba and Guring-gai Aboriginal people. Originally from the Blue Mountains, she now lives in Sydney and rides for the St George Cycling Club.