Former Blaxland resident Amanda Reid has been named NAIDOC Sports Person of the Year.
The two-time Paralympian and silver medalist now lives in Werri Beach in the Illawarra, and was presented with the award in Cairns earlier this month.
“Winning the NAIDOC Sports Person of the Year was a great privilege and honour. It is the best award an Aboriginal person can get in Australia. The award topped off a great 12 months,” the 20-year-old said.
Reid, who has cerebral palsy, an intellectual disability and was recently diagnosed with dystonia – involuntary muscle contractions in her limbs – has achieved the unusual feat of representing her country in two sports.
She won a silver medal for cycling in the 500m track time trial at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, and she competed in swimming in the London Paralympics in 2012.
Winning the NAIDOC Sports Person of the Year was a great privilege and honour.
- Amanda Reid
“I changed from swimming to cycling in 2015,” Reid said.
“When I was younger I did cycling so it was easy to go back to it. I was finding the huge training hours were taking a toll on my body and health. It is hard work having multiple disabilities and training and at the time trying to go to school as well.”
In her early years Reid attended Blaxland East Public and Mt Riverview Public. As a teen she moved to Wycliffe and Nepean Christian Schools and Blaxland High briefly.
This year has been a successful one for Reid, who won a silver and two gold medals at the March Para-World Track Championships.
