Rheed is a Paralympic wheelchair racer, who at 15 was the youngest member of the Australian team at the London 2012 Paralympic Games where he won a bronze and silver medals in the 100m and 200m T34 events. Born with cerebral palsy Rheed was told be doctors he would never walk, but he is proud to say he proved them wrong even if he does do it a bit differently. Not only did he learn to walk he went on to play football and soccer with his school friends and even joined little athletics with his sister competing against able-bodied athletes.
He competed in athletics at the Queensland primary schools Championships for athletes with disabilities in grades 5 , 6 and 7 being named team captain of the Wide Bay Team. At the Australian Youth Paralympic Games he represented QLD. Another career highlight is winning the Eric Russell athlete of the meet Trophy at the Queensland State Championships for Athletes with Disabilities.
A student at Bundaberg High School, and a member of the Bundaberg Athletics Club, Rheed made his debut into the sport of wheelchair racing in 2010 with an extremely impressive performance at the age of 13 in the Balmoral Burn-despite never having sat in a racing chair before. With strong support from both his parents, 2011 Sporting Dreams award recipient Rheed rapidly ascended to the top of his sport .
Rheed won 3 gold medals at the national championships in Melbourne in the 100, 800 and 1500 m in national record time and he has gone on to break 2 world records.
Showing his versatility Rheed also competes in marathons. He entered the prestigious Oz Day 10k event, where he placed 3rd in the junior men’s division. He also placed 3rd in the Gold Coast half marathon, but this time he was racing in open men’s division, making his achievement even more impressive.
Rheed was greatly inspired by three-time Paralympian and Australian marathon champion , Kurt Fearnley and trained with him in the lead up to the London Games. Rheed competes in T34 100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres and 1,500 metres track events
Rheed says “the greatest achievement in life is doing what people say you cannot do.The difference between possible and impossible is determination”
Athlete Profile
- Born : 20/01/97
- Sport: Track, wheelchair racing
- Disability: Cerebral palsy
- Classification: T34
- Best results: 2012 London Paralympic Games silver in T34 100m and bronze in T34 200m.
Sporting History
2005 Started competing in athletics
2008 Queensland 12 years and under Track and Field Championships. 1st place in the boys 11 years AWD 100m, 200m, long jump, shot put and discus events
2008 Pan Pacific Games in Canberra. AWD (Athletes With a Disability) 11 years boys’ 1st place in all his events- 100m, long jump, shot put and discus
2009 Queensland State Championships boys 12 years AWD 1st place in all his events – long jump, 100m, discus and shot put
2010 Made his debut in wheelchair racing
2010 Queensland Secondary Schools Championships, 1st in AWD boys 400m
2010 McCracken competed in the Queensland Secondary Schools Championships, where he won the AWD boys 400m event. That year, he also competed at the Queensland State Championships and the Australian National Championships event
2010 Australian National & Championships
& Queensland State Championships
2010 Gold medal & QLD record at the State Cycling Championships
2011 Represented Australia at IWAS World Games in Dubai. Gold for 100m , silver in 400 metres, 800 metres and 1,500 metres events. Qualified for London Paralympics at age 14, one of the youngest team members
2011 competed in Sydney’s City2Surf
2011 July 3rd at Gold Coast Half Marathon
2012 January Australia Day Series 10k in Canberra 2nd in junior division
2012 Oz Day 10k In January, finished second with a time of 24.38 in the junior race
2012 London Paralympic Games: silver 100m T34 event , bronze in the 200m T34 event.
