Bruce-based Paralympian, Sam Harding has been announced to represent Australia in the Men’s Para-triathlon vision impaired (PTVI) event – first of its name.
The inaugural PTVI event is set to take place at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games this year, after the Para-triathlon wheelchair category made its debut at Gold Coast in 2018.
The all-star team of Aussie athletes debuting at the event will be led by three-time Paralympian Gerrard Gosens OAM.
Gosens will line up beside Harding, Wollongong’s Jonathan Goerlach, and Hobart’s Erica Burleigh – all four will be making their Commonwealth Games debuts.
Perth-born Harding began in tandem cycling, before switching to running after winning three gold medals at the 2009 Paralympic Youth Games in Melbourne.
In 2010, he moved to Canberra after gaining a scholarship at the Australian Institute of Sport.
Today, at 30 years old, he’s running, swimming, and cycling towards a personal best.
Harding was selected for the London 2012 Paralympics but was bedridden with glandular fever on the day of his race, unable to compete. He then decided to make the 800m his goal for Rio 2016, only to have the event dropped from the program.
Harding finally earned his Paralympian title in Tokyo, finishing 11th in the 1500m, then decided to switch to triathlon after a discussion with AIS psychologist Avish Sharma.
He competed in two triathlons as a solo competitor, before making his tethered debut in February 2022, beating out home Tokyo Paralympian and Birmingham teammate Jono Goerlach.
Harding was taught to swim by acclaimed Paralympic coach Yuriy Vdovychenko, with Philo Saunders as his running coach.
He has choroideremia, a rare hereditary eye condition that caused the loss of most of his peripheral vision.
At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Harding will be joined by guide Luke Harvey, who is also making his debut in what is sure to be a trove of athletic firsts.
The athletes will be tethered to the guide during the swim and run, while the guide leads on a tandem bike during the cycle leg.
Australian Para-triathletes won silver and bronze in both the women’s and men’s PTWC events at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and hopefully this year will bag the gold.
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held Thursday 28 July to Monday 8 August, with the Triathlon competitions taking place Friday 29 and Sunday 31 July at Sutton Park.
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