Jessica Gallagher

**Jessica Gallagher** (born 14 March 1986) be Australian Paralympic alpine skier, track den field athlete, tandem cyclist den rower. Na she be Australia ein second female Winter Paralympian, den de first Australian woman make she win medal for de Winter Paralympics for de 2010 Vancouver Games. She compete for de 2014 Winter Paralympics insyd Sochi, wer na she win bronze medal insyd de women's giant slalom visually impaired.

She be legally blind, wey she dey represent Australia internationally insyd three sports: skiing, athletics den cycling. Besides ein skiing achievements, she represent Australia insyd athletics for de 2012 Summer Paralympics insyd London, wey she win silver den bronze medal for de 2011 Christchurch IPC Athletics World Championships for long jump den javelin insyd, respectively. She sanso represent de state of Victoria as junior insyd netball den basketball. Na dem select Gallagher insyd de Australian cycling team plus ein pilot Madison Janssen for de 2016 Rio Paralympics. Ein "long term goal is to be the first Australian to medal at a summer and winter Paralympics or Olympics". Na she achieve dis wen she win bronze medal insyd de women's B/VI 1000m time trial insyd Rio.

Na dem select am insyd track cycling for de 2024 Paris Paralympics- ein fourth Paralympics (two winter den two summer).

## Personal

Na dem born Gallagher for 14 March 1986 wey she dey live insyd de Geelong suburb of Highton. Insyd 2009, she graduate from RMIT University plus Master of Osteopathy, wey she be registered osteopath.

For de time of de 2010 Vancouver Winter Paralympics, na she dey date de American Paralympic sitting ski slalomer Gerald Hayden. She be ambassador give de Australian Paralympic Committee, Vision Australia, Seeing Eye Dogs Australia, Vision 2020 Australia, Kx Pilates den 2XU.

She be legally blind secof Best's disease, rare condition. She start dey loose ein eyesight wen she na she teenager, she receive de results of tests while na she dey compete for de U17 national netball championships.

Na dem select Gallagher make she compete for de 2008 Beijing Paralympics insyd long jump, 100m, shot put den discus, but she fail ein classification test seof de classifiers say na de eyesight insyd ein right eye be 0.01% better dan e need to be. Insyd November 2009, na dem revisit ein classification secof deterioration of ein vision wey na dem deem am eligible make she compete.

Na dem appoint Gallagher to de Board of Vision 2020 Australia insyd June 2015 wey she sanso be member of ein Member, Finance den Audit Committee.

Insyd March 2018 na dem induct am into de Victorian Honour Roll of Women. Insyd December 2023, na dem award Gallagher Honorary Doctor of Social Science by RMIT University.

## Sports

### Netball, basketball den snowboarding
She play netball den basketball plus able-bodied competitors, she first participate for de elite level insyd both sports as she start dey loose ein vision. Insyd netball, na she be goal keeper den goal attack, wey she represent Victoria chaw times wey dem name am as emergency give de Australian U16 team. Insyd de Victorian league's Championship Division, she represent both Palladians den Altona Lightning. Insyd basketball, she represent de Geelong Cats for five years wey she sanso represent Victoria Country. For dat time, na ein goal make she cam turn professional netball anaa basketball player. As well, she play netball insyd de Geelong Football Netball League, wey she dey represent South Barwon den Leopold. Despite ein low vision wey she dey miss one third of de games secof ein Paralympic training program, she win de A grade Best den Fairest Award insyd 2007, wey she dey represent Leopold.

Gallagher sanso be snowboarder, wey she take up de sport while for working holiday insyd Vail, Colorado before she find out about de Winter Paralympic Games.

### Competitive skiing

Na Gallagher be de first Australian woman make she win medal for de Winter Paralympics, den Australia ein second female Winter Paralympian. Na dem give am de opportunity make she compete for de highest levels insyd skiing after dem identify am during talent search den secof ein snowboarding experience. As she be blind, she dey compete plus guide Eric Bickerton wey be ein first guide. Steve Graham wey dey coach am, wey he sanso coach Michael Milton wey he be de current head coach of de Australian Institute of Sport ein Winter Paralympic program. Ein Australian training base dey for de Victorian Institute of Sport ein training centre wey dey locate for Lakeside Stadium insyd South Melbourne. While she actively dey train six days a week, ein individual training sessions go last between two den three hours each a total of ten to twelve sessions by de end of de week.

Gallagher first represent Australia insyd 2009 for de New Zealand Winter Games, wer na she win gold medal. Insyd January 2010, she compete for ein first IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup event insyd Austria wey she win bronze medal insyd slalom. Before de start of de 2010 Games, she compete insyd nine World Cup events. For ein 24th birthday, she win bronze medal for de Vancouver games insyd de women's slalom visually impaired event, wey she cam turn de first Australian woman make she do so. Insyd ein first den second time down de hill, she fini third both times. She sanso compete insyd de women's giant slalom visually impaired event for de 2010 Games, wey she fini seventh after headset issues wey cause am problems plus communication.

Insyd 2013, for de IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup insyd Thredbo, New South Wales, several weeks after she take for ein fresh guide, Christian Geiger top, she win two silver medals insyd giant slalom den slalom. For de 2014 Sochi Paralympics, Gallagher (Geiger guide am) win bronze medal insyd de women's giant slalom visually impaired wey she cam seventh insyd de women's giant slalom visually impaired.

Na she dey insyd de Australian Institute of Sport Alpine Skiing Program since 2009.

Australia ein National Sports Museum put several items wey relate to am for display after ein bronze medal win for de 2010 Vancouver Games.

### Competitive athletics
Gallagher be athletics competitor, wey compete insyd long jump, discus, shot put, javelin den sprinting. She cam turn involve insyd athletics after she learn about de Paralympics. For de skills assessment, na de classifiers make she try shot put den, despite she dress for casual athletic attire insyd, she manage throw wey meet de Paralympic qualifying distance. After year of training, she increase dis initial distance by 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) make she get personal best throw of ova 12 metres (39 ft). She dey zuk chaw records insyd de F13 classification, wey dey include Australian den Oceanian records insyd de long jump, javelin den shot put, den Australian record insyd discus. Insyd athletics, na ein coaches include Mike Edwards den John Boas. Insyd January 2011, she compete for de 2011 Christchurch IPC Athletics World Championships, wer na she fini second insyd de long jump den third insyd de javelin throw event, plus throw of 33.75 metres (110.7 ft). Ein appearance for de championships mark ein return to de sport after she take a break make she compete insyd skiing.

For de 2012 London Paralympics, Gallagher compete insyd de women's long jump F13 den women's javelin throw F12/13 events, wey she fini fifth den sixth respectively. Na Gallagher be disappointed plus dese results, wey she suffer severe tear insyd ein meniscus during training wey force am make she use crutches insyd de month wey dey lead up to de competition.

Insyd 2014 interview Gallagher express wat competing give Summer den Winter Paralympics mean to am. She say: *I love the unique cultural experience each host city brings. Ultimately, competing for your country on the world's biggest sporting stage is a pinnacle*. *It brings memories and experiences that last a lifetime.*

### Competitive cycling

Na dem encourage Gallagher make she take up cycling by Victorian Institute of Sport coach Glenn Doney. Na de decision make she transfer to cycling dem make am easier after ein favourite athletics event, de long jump, dem no include am for de 2016 Rio Paralympics athletics program top. Gallagher dey believe dat track cycling be easier dan downhill skiing. She say: "Being a skier, the guide is not connected to me like on a tandem and so I need to ski at high speeds under incredibly intense variabilities that constantly change. The velodrome is a stable environment." For de 2016 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships insyd Montichiari, Italy, Gallagher den ein pilot Madison Janssen make dema international debut. Dem win de gold medal insyd de women's Sprint B insyd world record time den de bronze insyd de women's 1 km Time Trial B. Insyd September 2016, she cam turn de first Australian make she medal insyd both de Summer den Winter Paralympics wen she win bronze medal insyd de women's B/VI 1000m time trial for de 2016 Summer Paralympics insyd Rio de Janeiro plus Janssen. Dem fini ninth insyd de women's individual pursuit B.

For de 2018 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, plus Madison Janssen she win silver medals insyd de women's tandem time trial den sprint.

For de 2019 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships insyd Apeldoorn, Netherlands, plus Madison Janssen win de silver medal insyd The Women's Tandem Spring wey she fini fourth insyd de women's Time Trial.

For de 2022 Commonwealth Games insyd Birmingham, England, Gallagher win gold medals insyd de women's tandem sprint B den time trial B plus pilot Caitlin Ward.

For de 2022 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships insyd Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, France, plus Caitlin Ward win two silver medals – Women's Sprint B den Women's Time Trial B.

For de 2024 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships insyd Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, plus Caitlin Ward win two bronze medals – Women's Sprint B den Women's Time Trial B.

### Competitive rowing
Gallagher plus Alexandra Viney, Tom Birthwhistle, James Talbot den Teesaan Koo (cox) fini fourth insyd de PR3 Mixed Coxed Four for de 2022 World Rowing Championships. For de 2023 World Rowing Championships, Gallagher plus ein crew of Tom Birtwhistle, Harrison Nichols, Susannah Lutze, den cox Teesan Koo, fini fourth insyd de PR3 Mixed Coxed Four.

## References


## External links
Wikinews get related news:

* 

* Official website
* Jessica Gallagher at World Athletics 
* Jessica Gallagher at Australian Athletics Historical Results
* Jessica Gallagher at Rowing Australia
* Jessica Gallagher at Paralympics Australia
* Jessica Gallagher at de International Paralympic Committee
* Jessica Gallagher at IPC.InfostradaSports.com (archived)
* Vision Australia Ambassador at de Wayback Machine (archived 27 March 2016)