McGrath fit to be first among equals
CURTIS McGrath is the white-hot favourite to become the first para-athlete to be crowned the sportsman of the year at the World Paddle Awards in Portugal tonight.
The Paralympic kayak champion is on the cusp of winning the prestigious Golden Paddle award following an incredible journey from battlefield casualty to Rio gold medal winner.
McGrath is one of five finalists for the Golden Paddle following a year where he won gold in the sprint kayak in Rio and two gold medals at the world championships in Duisberg.
The Gold Coaster’s Rio triumph in September came nearly four years to the day after losing both his legs when he stepped on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in 2012.
Winning the award would cement McGrath’s place as not only one of the greatest athletes in paddling sports, able-bodied or not. That is something he will always cherish.
“It’s a great honour to be recognised for the last 12 or 18 months,” McGrath said.
“To be recognised in an awards that doesn’t necessarily have a para or a disabled athlete category is really special. The recognition as an equal is really great and I’m pretty stoked.”
An Australian athlete is yet to win a Golden Paddle as the awards enter their third year. Olympic medallist Jess- ica Fox, a 2014 and 2015 finalist, is the closest so far.
McGrath, 28, could also become the first para-athlete to win the award – something his closest rival and Austrian legend and six-time world KL2 champion Markus Swoboda was unable to do.
The humble champion said winning the award would not add to any legacy he was building but it would be a reflection of the work many people had put into his success.
“This is great recognition not only for me but for Australian kayaking and canoe athletes as a whole,” McGrath said.
“I don’t really want it to be my legacy because I think there is a massive team around you to make all these things happen so to get recognition is not just for me it’s for the people that help me get here.
“It’s the legacy of Australian canoeing and it’s great to be able to incorporate everyone who has helped me get to where I am today.”