Video Shout-Out from Evan O'Hanlon

Growing up with five sisters, Evan O’Hanlon jokes that he had to learn to be fast on his feet if he wanted to eat. Involved in athletics at school, he was encouraged by a PE teacher to begin competing as an athlete with a disability. Now he pilots bobsleds for Australia at over 120km per hour in the Australian able-bodied squad.

Evan aims to become the first Paralympian to turn around and compete at the Olympics in a different sport is fully self funded and all funds earned go toward fulfilling this dream.

Evan exploded onto the world athletics stage in 2005, the same year he began competing, and immediately created a name for himself in Paralympic sprinting, which he later cemented at his Paralympic debut in Beijing. There he won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in world record time, becoming the first athlete with cerebral palsy to break the 11-second barrier over 100m.

Evan’s outstanding form continued at the London Games, where he again won gold in the 100m and 200m events in world record time. Fittingly, he was chosen to carry the flag at the Games’ Closing Ceremony and was named Male Athlete of the Year at the 2012 Paralympian of the Year Awards.

At London in 2012, Evan became the fastest Australian Paralympian ever when he ran the 100m in 10.79 seconds. He also qualified for the able-bodied National Championships after winning the 100m at the ACT titles in 2015. He made a successful return to London at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in July, regain his T38 100m crown. It was his eighth gold medal and 11th medal at the IPC World Championships. He equalled Neil Fuller as the male athlete with most medals and most gold medals.His medal in London ensured automatic selection for Evan in the T38 100m at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

The champion sprinter credits his success to his coach of 15 years and the most influential person in his life, Iryna Dvoskina. He also admires Australian Paralympic great and former squad member, Heath Francis’ dedication to training.Whilst living in Canberra he obtained a degree in landscape architecture and owned a café, Superfine, with his wife, Czech Republic race walker Zuzana O'Hanlon (nee Schindlerová).

CURRENTLY

After retiring from the track after the 2018 Commonwealth games, O'Hanlon has pivoted and can now be found hurtling down an icy track, steering a bobsleigh at 120 kilometres an hour. In a further twist, O'Hanlon is also back running! O'Hanlon and his family have now relocated to the Czech Republic in order to train full time.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

- First Athlete with Cerebral Palsy to run under 11sec in the 100m.

- First Athlete with Cerebral Palsy to run under 22sec in the 200m.

- Multiple world records, including his personal best of 10.79sec for the 100m

- 5 x Paralympic Gold Medals

- Flag Bearer at the London 2012 Paralympic Closing Ceremony

- Order of Australia Medal Recipient 

- First Paralympian to Pilot a Bobsled in the European Cup.

- 25th at the Able Bodied Bobsleigh World Championships

Side Note

Evan's bobsled career and aim to become the first Paralympian to then compete at the Olympics in a different sport is fully self funded and all funds earned go toward fulfilling this dream.