Karl Feifar

Karl Peter Thomas Feifar, OAM[1] (5 January 1973 – 29 May 2009)[2] was an indigenous Australian amputee athlete and Paralympic competitor.

Karl Feifar
Personal information
Full nameKarl Peter Thomas Feifar
Nationality Australia
Born(1973-01-05)5 January 1973
Subiaco, Western Australia
Died29 May 2009(2009-05-29) (aged 36)
Orelia, Western Australia
Medal record
Athletics
Paralympic Games
1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games Men's 4x100 m Relay TS2,4
1992 Barcelona Men's Long Jump J2
World Championships and Games for the Disabled
1990 Assen Men's Long Jump 7F
1990 Assen Men's Javelin 7F
1990 Assen Men's Pentathlon
1990 Assen Men's 4x100m Relay 3T
1990 Assen Men's 4x400m Relay 4T
1990 Assen Men's 100m 4T
1990 Assen Men's 200m 4T

Personal

Feifar was born in the Perth suburb of Subiaco in 1973. His parents were Wendy and Peter.[3] His deformed foot was amputated at birth. His parents encouraged him to play sport. Feifar commented Even as a kid, if I fell down, my mother would tell me to pick myself up and keep going. My parents gave me the positive will to succeed.[3] Despite his below-knee amputation, as a child he played Australian football for Central Club in Jarrahdale,[3] swam and competed in athletics with the aid of a prosthetic leg.[4] He had worked for Australia Post as a driver.[5] He had a partner, Kathleen, and a daughter.[2]

Career

At the 1988 Pan Pacific School Games in Sydney, Feifar won three gold and one bronze medals. In 1990, he set a world record and four Australian records at the Australian Amputee Games.

At the 1990 World Championships and Games for the Disabled in Assen Netherlands, he won five gold and two silver medals and broke two world records (long jump and pentathlon).[6] After these Championships, he accepted a scholarship in the newly established Australian Institute of Sport Athletes with a Disabilities program and was coached by Chris Nunn.[3]

At the 1992 Barcelona Games, he won a gold medal in the Men's 4 × 100 m Relay TS2,4 event and a silver medal in the Men's Long Jump J2 event.[7] In 1993, he retired from competition. His coach Chris Nunn was quoted as saying: "Karl was extremely talented but due to early retirement he didn't realise his full potential".[8]

Death

Feifar died of a heart attack on 29 May 2009.[2] His partner Kathleen could not connect to the 000 emergency number from her Telstra home phone in Orelia, and was forced to use her work mobile phone.[2] There was an appeal to help pay for his burial in the Fremantle Cemetery.[5]

Recognition

References
  1. "Feifar, Karl Peter Thomas". It's an Honour. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  2. Styles, Aja (3 September 2009). "Calls for inquest into 000 tragedy". WAtoday. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  3. "Karl in the running for Barcelona gold" (PDF). Koori Mail (13). 20 November 1991.
  4. 'Karl Feifar' in the Oxford Companion to Australian Sport. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1994. p. 161. ISBN 0-19-553568-5.
  5. Coyne, Darren (29 July 2009). "Family appealing for help to bury Paralympian son" (PDF). Koori Mail. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
  6. World Championships and Games for the Disabled – Athletics Results. Netherlands: Organising Committee. 1990.
  7. "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
  8. Fogarty, Michael (2005). Indigenous athletes at the Australian Institute of Sport. Canberra: Australian Sports Commission. p. 64. ISBN 1-74013-070-7.
  9. Tatz, Colin (2000). Black gold : the Aboriginal and Islander Sports Hall of Fame. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press. p. 45. ISBN 0-85575-367-6.
  10. "Cathy, Karl take out National Aboriginal Sports Awards" (PDF). Koori Mail (13). 6 November 1991. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
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