Robert Staddon (swimmer)

Robert "Bob" Staddon (born 1960) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer, who won three bronze medals at the 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Paralympics.

Robert Staddon
Personal information
Nationality Australia
Born1960
Medal record
Swimming
Paralympic Games
1984 New York/Stoke MandevilleMen's 100 m Freestyle 1C
1984 New York/Stoke MandevilleMen's 25 m Backstroke 1C
1984 Stoke MandevilleMen’s 3×25 m Freestyle Relay 1A–1C

Personal

Staddon was born in 1960 and grew up in the Sydney suburb of Avalon. [1] [2] In 1972, his family moved to Cooranbong and in 1973 to the Newcastle suburb of New Lambton. [1] He attended Broadmeadow High School until 1977. After leaving school, he joined the Royal Australian Navy as an able seaman. [1] In September 1980, he had a water slide accident in Jakarta, Indonesia that resulted him becoming a quadriplegic.[3] He underwent rehabilitation including swimming at Royal North Shore Hospital.[1] He was coached by Eric Arnold at the Junction Swim Centre in Newcastle. [1] From 1982 to 1986, he focussed on swimming and worked as an instructor at Forster and Junction Swim Centre. [1] He then lectured on the prevention of spinal injuries for Royal North Shore Hospital. [1] He became the first quadriplegic in Australia to gain an advanced open water diving certificate and a coxwain's certificate. [1]

Sporting Career

At the 1981 Para-Quad national Games in Melbourne, he won a gold medal and two silver medals. [1] He won two gold medals and a silver medal at the 1982 FESPIC Games in Hong Kong. [1] At the 1983 International Stoke Mandeville Games he won two gold medals and a bronze medal. [1] He competed at the 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Games, where he won three bronze medals in the Men's 100 m Freestyle 1C, Men's 25 m Backstroke 1C and Men’s 3×25 m Freestyle Relay 1A–1C events. [1][4][5]

Recognition

In 1984, Staddon received the "Best Single Sporting Performance" award from Sport Australia, the NBN Sport Star of the Year Special Award, and the Para-Quad Sporting Federation's "Most Outstanding Swimming Award".[1] He was named "Citizen of the Year" by the Newcastle Australia Day Council in 1987, and was inducted into the Hunter Region Sporting Hall of Fame in 1999.[1][6]

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References
  1. "Bob Staddon, Swimming". Newcastle Cultural Collections website.
  2. "Hunter Region Sporting Hall of Fame". Hunter Academy of Sport Website. Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  3. "Advance Care Planning – A Family's Journey" (PDF). Planning Ahead Tools. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  4. Results for Staddon from the International Paralympic Committee (archived). Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  5. "Australia's 1984 men's swimming bronze medals". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
  6. "1999 Induction Ceremony, Hunter Region Sporting Hall of Fame". Newcastle Cultural Collections website. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
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