Cameron de Burgh

De Burgh was born in New Zealand on 11 April 1971,[1] and moved to Brisbane in Australia in 1991.[2] At the age of 16, his trail-bike was hit by a car while he was performing a U-turn and his right leg was amputated above the knee due to his injuries.[2] Four months after the accident, he began an apprenticeship at a golf course.[2]

De Burgh on the pool deck at the 1996 Summer Paralympics

De Burgh started swimming in the early 1990s.[2] In 1995, he won five gold medals at the Australian National Swimming Championships.[2] He won a silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games in the Men's 4x100 m Freestyle S7–10 event.[3] In the freestyle and butterfly events at the 1996 Games, he set Australian records.[2] He was a 1997 and 1998 Motor Accidents Authority Paralympian.[2][4] In 1998, he competed at the IPC Swimming World Championships in Christchurch.[2] In the 100 m freestyle and 100 m butterfly events, he won silver medals.[2] At the Championship, he was part of the Australian 4 x 100 m relay team that won a gold medal.[2] In 1999, he competed in the German and United Kingdom national swimming championships. His medal haul at these two events included five gold medals, a silver medal and a bronze medal.[2] In 2000, his competitive sport participation was sponsored by the Motor Accidents Authority in New South Wales.[5] At the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, he won two silver medals in the Men's 100 m Freestyle S9 and Men's 4x100 m Freestyle 34 pts events and a bronze medal in the Men's 4x100 m Medley 34 pts event.[3]

In 1995, the Australian Paralympic Federation named De Burgh their Developing Paralympian of the Year.[2]