Mark Davies
Davies at the Atlanta Paralympics in 1996
Personal information
Full nameMark Hedley Davies
Nationality Australia
Born30 June 1960
Darwin, Northern Territory
Died9 January 2011(2011-01-09) (aged 50)
Darwin, Northern Territory
Medal record
Men's athletics
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Men's 100 m B2
Gold medal – first place 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Men's Pentathlon B2
IPC Athletics World Championships
Bronze medal – third place1998 BirminghamMen's Discus F11

Mark Hedley Davies[1] (30 June 1960 – 9 January 2011)[2][3] was an Australian Paralympic athlete. He was born in Darwin, and was the first man to represent the Northern Territory in sport for the blind.[2][4] He had a degenerative eye condition that caused tunnel vision; he found it more difficult to compete in able-bodied sports as he got older, and by 2000, he had lost all of his sight.[4][5]

He began his athletic career before the establishment of the Northern Territory Institute of Sport, so he had to organise all his training and transport independently.[6] In 1982 he joined the newly formed Northern Territory Blind Sports Association, and went on to win many medals and break Australian records at national blind sporting championships.[5] At the 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Paralympics, he won gold medals in the Men's Pentathlon B2, where he broke a world record, and the Men's 100 m B2.[5][7] He also competed in athletics without winning any medals at the 1988 Seoul, 1992 Barcelona, 1996 Atlanta, and 2000 Sydney Games.[7] He worked as an athletics coach, and assisted other blind sportspeople in the Northern Territory.[5][8] In 2000, he received an Australian Sports Medal.[1]

He died in Darwin on 9 January 2011, a week after the death of his wife.[3][4] The Australian Paralympic Committee described him as "a genuine pioneer of the Australian Paralympic movement".[9]

References

  1. 1 2 "Davies, Mark Hedley: Australian Sports Medal". It's an Honour. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Australians at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics: Athletes". Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 20 January 2000. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Sleeping peacefully: Mark Hedley Davies". Anglicare Northern Territory. 10 January 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 "Paralympic pioneer dies in Darwin". ABC News. 10 January 2011. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Tiffen, Peter (7 October 1988). "Blind athletes off in quest for gold". Northern Territory News.
  6. ↑ McNally, Lucy (10 January 2011). "Tribute for Paralympic champ". ABC News. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  7. 1 2 "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  8. ↑ Maurice, Michael (28 March 1988). "Paralympics appeal launch". Northern Territory News.
  9. ↑ "Vale Mark Davies". Australian Paralympic Committee. 10 January 2011. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
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