Darron is an elite handcyclist and has recently been appointed as the Queensland handcycling head coach. Originally from the United Kingdom, he competed as a triathlete before becoming paraplegic in an accident. Two years later, he moved to Australia to study Sport Science at the University of the Sunshine Coast. It was then that he took up hand cycling competitively, and he hasn’t looked back.

Since 2006 Darron has competed in road races and individual time trial events at the national and state championships. In addition, he has twice completed the gruelling wild west handcycling tour in Perth, placing 11th in 2006 and 9th in 2007.

2008 has been his most successful season so far. Darron won both the individual time trial and the road race at the national championships, after finishing second and third at the State championships a month earlier. He also finished in second place overall in the South East Queensland handcycling series, which he helped organise.

Handcycling is a relatively new sport, making its debut at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. Darron has been instrumental in the development of the sport in Queensland, organising the South East Queensland handcycling series, as well as helping to start the inaugural national handcycling series 2008/09.

Darron says the Sporting dreams grant will enable him to focus on training, rather than working to earn money to pay for travel to competitions. It will also help him to pay for extra training costs such as regular massage, nutrition and strength and conditioning programs.

“I am a sport scientist and understand that all these extras help with racing performance, but they are all extra costs,” he said.

Darron is now firmly focussed on the future, and his goal to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

To reach this goal he plans to compete in the 200/09 National handcycling series. In 2009 he aims to compete at the National championships and at the Arafura Games.Hopefully this will lead to an opportunity to compete at the world Championships to be held in Melbourne in 2010.