‘I had to learn to walk, talk and just be a human’: What keeps Korey pedalling

Korey Boddington has had two brushes with death.

At 11, he was struck by a van. Four years later, a motocross accident left him in a three-week coma.

But he now stands as a Paralympic champion and world record holder.

Korey Boddington with the Australian flag after his win.Credit: Getty Images

The Mooloolaba man’s childhood trials left him with brain damage, hip injuries and impairments in his arm.

“I had to learn to walk, talk and just be a human again,” Boddington says.

And the mindset that carried him through?

“No matter how bad things are, they will get better. Just knowing how quickly it can be over has really changed my whole perspective,” he says.

Boddington has since relocated from the Sunshine Coast to Brisbane to up his training, which proved a triumphant move in Paris.Credit: Getty Images

“Even now, I’ve got a bad short-term memory. It’s a good thing, in a way, because even if I have an argument with someone you could come back to me in 15 minutes and I won’t remember that.”

Nevertheless, he remembers his greatest triumph.

Just 18 months after beginning his cycling career, Boddington emerged as the C4-5 class men’s time trial victor in Paris, achieving a world record time of 1:01.65, before adding a bronze in the mixed team sprint.

“I made sure I was there until every kid’s poster had been signed. If someone hadn’t signed mine, I would’ve been bummed.”

Korey Boddington

He rose through the cycling’s ranks living by the mantra “if I ever had to do a triathlon on the weekend, I’d want to be physically fit enough so I could”.

“I’ve just been completely obsessed – if it was anything other than cycling it would be an unhealthy obsession,” he says.

Boddington is now the man to beat, a reputation he intends to keep beyond the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Now 29, he aims to push through to the 2030 Union Cycliste Internationale Track Cycling World Championships, which this week announced Brisbane as the host city.

Then, he will hunt glory in the Brisbane 2032 Paralympics, hoping to experience the euphoria of helping inspire the next generation.

“We had the welcome home ceremonies, and just seeing these kids’ faces light up was cool because it wasn’t long ago I was one of these kids just frothing over the elite athletes,” Boddington said.

“I made sure I was there until every kid’s poster had been signed. If someone hadn’t signed mine, I would’ve been bummed, so I didn’t want to be that guy.”

For Australia to thrive across all sports in 2032, Boddington believes a significant injection of support is needed.

Boddington celebrates after his gold medal victory.Credit: Getty Images

On the back of a 36-year worst for the nation in Paris – 18 gold, 17 silver and 28 bronze medals – Sporting Wheelies chief operations officer Dane Cross is calling for greater investment for para-sport’s lower levels.

Boddington believes his late introduction to para-cycling and support from the Queensland Academy of Sport made him an exception to the predicament many aspiring para-athletes face to be recognised.

But the cycling champion feels grassroots talent identification and participation avenues need to improve, arguing that “if I’d never stepped forward, they never would have found me”.

According to Paralympics Australia, 75 per cent of Australians with a disability want to partake in sport but feel there are limited opportunities – leading to just one in four participating.

The federal government announced a $54.9 million boost for Paralympic sport in June, but Cross fears without regular initiatives aimed at all levels and age groups, diminishing medal hauls and personal battles for prospective competitors will persist.

“We can’t rely on one-off initiatives or elite-focused funding alone. Grassroots, community programs are where lifelong athletes are born, where skills are nurtured, and where the love for sport grows,” Cross says.

“We have the talent here in Queensland and across Australia, but we need to ensure that there is long-term support in place.”

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.