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Australia Kurt Fearnley AO PLY is a decorated Australian wheelchair racer and advocate, whose career advancements include transitioning from elite athlete to celebrated media personality and prominent board director for national disability and sports organizations.
Kurt Fearnley AO is a board director for Paralympics Australia and has been endorsed by the organization for the IPC Vice-President role.
The Oz Day 10k, a significant wheelchair racing event, is made possible through a partnership between UNSW and Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT.
The Kurt Fearnley Scholarship was established by Commonwealth Games Australia and the Carbine Club of NSW to support emerging Para-sport athletes.
Born on March 23, 1981, in Cowra, New South Wales, Kurt Fearnley AO PLY overcame early medical prognoses associated with his sacral agenesis, a congenital condition affecting spinal development. He embraced sports from a young age, earning his first athletics medal in long jump. At 14, he began wheelchair racing, quickly achieving an elite level by 17. Fearnley’s dedication led him to represent Australia at five Paralympic Games, accumulating three gold, seven silver, and three bronze medals. His Paralympic debut was in Sydney in 2000, followed by significant victories including two gold medals at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games in the 5000m T54 and Marathon T54 events, and another marathon gold at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.
Fearnley’s career continued to flourish with notable achievements beyond the Paralympics. He won multiple major marathons globally, including New York City, Chicago, Seoul, Paris, London, and Sydney. In 2018, he secured a gold medal in the men’s marathon T54 and a silver in the men’s 1500m T54 at the Commonwealth Games, where he also made history as the first Para-athlete to carry the Australian flag at the Closing Ceremony. Following his retirement from competitive Para-athletics, Fearnley transitioned into extensive advocacy and media roles. He was appointed Chair of the National Disability Insurance Agency Board, became a Commissioner of the Australian Sports Commission, and joined the Board of Directors for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Organising Committee and Paralympics Australia’s Board of Directors.
His commitment to social causes is exemplified by his 2009 endeavor where he crawled the Kokoda Track to raise awareness for men’s health, a journey of 96 kilometers completed in 10 days. Fearnley has also hosted ABC’s One Plus One, co-hosted the All Sports Show, and hosted SBS’s ‘What Does Australia Really Think About Disability?’. His contributions have been widely recognized, including being named the 2019 NSW Australian of the Year and receiving the prestigious ‘The Don’ Award from the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2018, becoming the first Paralympian to achieve this honor. In May 2025, he was inducted as the 34th Life Member of Commonwealth Games Australia, solidifying his enduring legacy.
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