LOCAL LIFE
Locals climb Mount Olympia !
by John Macdonald
Forget the Blacktown City Council elections , the mayoral and vice-mayoral choices should already have been declared . Kings Langley ’ s Timothy Hodge should have been named mayor and Lalor Park ’ s Gordon Allan , his deputy !
At the very least they should have been named as permanent roving ambassadors , and what have they done to score such recognition ?
Hodge won two gold medals at the Paris Paralympics , in the men ’ s 200m individual medley SM9 in a record 2.13.31 , and then swam the breaststroke leg in the medley relay .
Allan shared a bronze medal in track cycling with Korey Boddington and Alistair Donohoe , but in the Paralympics it ’ s not the winning or losing that ’ s important .
If the words ‘ the competing , not the winning ’ have significance in any sphere , it ’ s in sporting events for those living with disabilities , or at the Paralympics .
Hodge and Allan have given those in the district disabilities heroes to cheer for and an example of what can be overcome - the Paris medals have just added another dimension .
Swimmer Hodge lost his right foot when he was four due to a lower-leg deficiency , is missing two fingers on his right hand and his right arm is shorter than his left .
“ To inspire someone who might have just gone through an operation to amputate their foot or arm , or people who were born with their condition and have had issues all their life - to inspire them to start their own journey and set their own goals and achieve what they want to achieve in their lives , is incredibly important ,” he has said of his philosophy .
Thirty five year old Allan was born with cerebral palsy affecting his four limbs , due
Getting into the swim of things , Timothy Hodge picked up two gold medals in the pool at the Paris Paralympics .
On yer bike ! Gordon Allan has become a track cycling champion . to a lack of oxygen at birth . He had no idea about the Paralympics until he went on holidays with his family and some friends on the south coast of NSW in 2012 where he watched the 2012 Beijing Paralympics on television .
The idea of becoming a Paralympian became his goal .
“ I had a great childhood , I had a great family and a good upbringing as an only child .
“ My parents let me get into sport . They let me do trials , and all sorts of sports . Their big thing was they didn ’ t want anything to hold me back .
“ So , if I wanted to try swimming , I tried swimming . Want to try athletics ? I tried athletics . I remember when I was young , around eight or nine , doing swimming , athletics , soccer , and karate all in one week .
“ It was a great childhood and I think it ’ s definitely helped me be where I am today .
“ Seeing people on TV with disabilities and racing , at a high level , it was like , ‘ that ’ s awesome ’. At that stage I wanted to be a Paralympian in athletics or in swimming . But I think at that age I was just excited to compete .”
Hodge has won plenty , multiple Paralympic medals , he was awarded Blacktown Young Citizen of the Year in 2011 , Sportsperson of the Year in 2019 and Sport NSW Young Athlete of the Year in 2018 and 2021 .
More recently he shared the top gongs with Olympian , Kaylee McKeown , and Olympics openwater swimmer , Moesha Johnson , at the Swimming Australia awards .
Hodge is studying electrical engineering at the University of Western Sydney and working as an undergraduate engineer .
Allan has won plenty too ; Australian titles and multiple medals at world paralympic games and cycling championships .
He ’ s studying for a bachelor of sport and exercise science degree , also at the University of Western Sydney .
Sheer inspiration is what
comes to mind as I write about these two determined sportsmen .
BLACKTOWN CITY INDEPENDENT theindependentmagazine . com . au ISSUE 43 // OCTOBER 2024 11