Brant
Garvey

Para-triathlon star Brant Garvey was inspired by his kid sister’s strength and courage while undergoing treatment for three different types of cancer, when he decided to try running for the first time at 28.

Falling flat on his face, he returned the next day, and the next, each day managing to run a little further. Driven by his new can-do mentality, Brant continued to push the boundaries of what he and others thought was possible, bursting onto the Para-triathlon scene in 2013 to place sixth in his first international event.

As his racing technique developed, Darwin-born Brant became the first Australian above-knee amputee to complete an Ironman Triathlon, and has completed the Rottnest Channel Swim, a 19.7km open water swim, five times to date.

With his sights set on becoming one of the first to medal in Para-triathlon at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Garvey was unfortunate to place 10th of 10 in his class after the adductor in his left leg seized up. Despite the result, he ranks it among the highlights of his career.

In the lead-up to the Paralympic Games, Brant looked to three-time Paralympic gold medallist and 2016 Australian Team co-captain Kurt Fearnley for inspiration. He says that Kurt serves as a reminder that there are no excuses.

Before becoming a triathlete, Brant represented Australia in swimming at the 2002 FESPIC Games in Busan, South Korea. He has also won five Australian Wheelchair Basketball Championships with the Perth Wheelcats, and enjoyed a two-year stint playing wheelchair basketball in Spain.

Outside of sport, Brant works as a motivational speaker, with one of his partnerships being Zero2Hero, an organisation that aims to empower children with mental health issues.