Cooper scores bronze, three Bundy athletes make Aussie Paralympic team

Bundaberg’s Isaac Cooper has scored a bronze medal at this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo while three other local athletes have made the Australian Paralympic Team and are set to compete later this month.

Bundaberg has no shortage of talented athletes and this year the world gets a front-row seat to them in action with locals making the Australian Olympic and Paralympic team.

From the local Fairymead pool, Isaac Cooper has gone on to be part of the mixed 4x100m medley relay (swimming) team which secured a bronze medal in Tokyo last week.

Having been swimming since he was five-months-old and competitively since he was five-years-old, getting a chance to represent Australia at the Olympics has always been his dream.

Isaac Cooper of Team Australia competes in heat one of the Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay on day six of the Tokyo Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Photo: Tom Pennington/Getty Images.

With the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 wrapping up on August 8, the 2020 Paralympics will begin on Tuesday, 24 August 2021 with three athletes from Bundaberg vying for glory.

The local talent includes four-time Paralympic medallist Rheed McCracken, two-time Paralympian Chris Pitt and Paralympic Debutant Samantha Schmidt.

McCracken won silver and bronze in London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Inspired by McCrackens efforts in London, in 2013 fellow Bundy local Chris Pitt made his international debut at the International Paralympic Committee Shooting World Cup in Szczecin, Poland, according to his bio on the Paralympics Australia site

“At the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Chris contested two events and shot his way through to the bronze medal match of the mixed 25m pistol P3 SH1,” the bio reads.

“Although he ultimately missed the podium, the fact that Chris was in contention for a medal at all was something which he was immensely proud of, and a feeling which he will carry with him to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in August.”

Set to don green and gold on the field as part of the Australian Athletic Paralympic team for the first time is Samantha Schmidt.

The Bundaberg Athletic Club And West Bundaberg Little Athletics, Queensland Athletics Association, Bundaberg State High School and Rheed McCracken have all taken to social media to congratulate Schmidt ahead of the 2020 Paralympics.

The 2020 Paralympics is held from August 24 to September 5 2021 in Japan.

For more information on the Australian Paralympic Team click here.