Wheelchair pioneer calls full-time
BILL Chaffey has bowed out of international triathlon on his terms, leaving a lasting mark as a pioneer in the wheelchair division.
Chaffey had vowed to bow out of international competition after the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games but could not bear to end on a poor note after a fall on the bike leg ruined his dreams of a gold finish.
His sixth-place finish on Saturday sits well with the Bilambil Heights athlete, who has pushed the paratriathlon wheelchair division into a new realm.
“I always intended to retire after the Comm Games but I couldn’t finish on a crash,” Chaffey said. “I’d rather have come out here and come 12th today and stayed upright than finished on a crash for third for the Comm Games.”
Chaffey, who was left an incomplete paraplegic after being hit by a truck while training for an ironman triathlon near Chinderah several years ago, has set the standard for his category.
“I’ve got nothing left to prove,” Chaffey said.
“I’m super proud of the career I’ve had, I’ve raced seven world championships and had five wins, one second and a sixth and the sixth came right at the end of my career, so I’m happy to have hung on.”