Create an experience with Kathleen O'Kelly-Kennedy

Raise the Bar.

Displaying an incredible resilience and passion for helping others, Kathleen O'Kelly-Kennedy is a woman on a mission. 

Born with one leg shorter than the other, her right foot was amputated when she was just eighteen months old. It wasn’t long before Kathleen mastered the art of life with an artificial leg, and, growing up in a very sporty family, Kathleen soon was playing many sports and showing a particular talent for basketball. 

Her wheelchair basketball career started with the Victorian Women's Wheelchair Basketball team in 2002 and there was to be no turning back. Taking her around the world with the Australian National team & earning a sports scholarship to the University of Illinois. Kathleen went on to win three consecutive US National Championships with the University of Illinois team.

From 2006 to 2015 she held a scholarship with the Victorian Institute of Sport. The hard work over many years paid off in 2008 when Kathleen rolled out with the Australian Women’s Basketball team at the Paralympic Games in Beijing, where they won a Bronze Medal.

Away from the court, Kathleen was selected to represent Australia at the United Nations in New York for the 2016 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability. Kathleen was a panelist discussing the Paralympics as a driver for sustainable and inclusive development.

Kathleen is a Co-founder of the Red Dust Heelers Program, which aims to create more awareness of disability and provide opportunities in sport, education and life for people with disability in Aboriginal and other communities across Australia. They use wheelchair basketball as an 'ice breaker' and as a tool to demonstrate inclusion in action.

After retiring from wheelchair basketball in 2016, Kathleen took on her most important role as foster carer to 3 young people in out of home care and to balance that responsibility she learnt to kayak and fell in love with being on the water. Once she wrapped up being a live in carer for the 3 young people, she was offered a scholarship (and a new challenge) at the WA Institute of Sport for Sprint Kayaking in 2019 - too hard to refuse!

The Covid19 Pandemic soon followed, and with the Paralympics postponed by a year, Kathleen had a unique opportunity to try and make up a 7 second deficit between herself and her direct competition for a spot on the Tokyo team. 1 year later, Kathleen raced off again against her main competitor, and won in a photo finish! This lead to a 3rd race decider the next day, where she PB'd but was bested by another small margin. More determined than ever to make the 2024 Paris Paralympic team, Kathleen relocated (again!) to the Gold Coast, to train under the Australian Head Coach at Paddle Australia's Headquarters.

Having made a number of Australia teams for World Cups and World Champs in Para Canoe, Paris 2024 was not meant to be for Kathleen, after experiencing a debilitating illness at a critical time leading in to Qualification. 

For her physical health and longevity, Kathleen said a bitter sweet good bye to high performance sport, knowing she had given her all and controlled what was within her control. 

She now focuses on advocating for better supports and pathways for people with disability in sport and life, in particular young women with disability, who face extra barriers to inclusion - even within programs/initiatives for women.

Kathleen’s experience in high performance sport is a testement to its unpredictability, just like with life. She’s learnt how brave it is to go ‘All In’ towards a goal, knowing there are no guarantees that will lead to achieving it. Ignoring her fears of failure or falling short of a goal and still putting in 100% is something to be proud of - and she can guarantee that it’s worth doing. 

The big highs and big lows Kathleen experienced across her sporting career have taught her to reset and refocus on - What’s Important Now? (WIN) - as quickly as possible, so as not miss the lessons that are always there and the people, connections and relationships that empower her every day.

Kathleen has experienced first hand the power of raising the bar of expectations we put on ourselves and those around us. She believes that too often, people with disabilities have the bar lowered for them, or they lower it themselves, never reaching their potential or dreams. The same can be said for people without disabilities too. She hopes that through sharing her story, it will help others to start dreaming bigger, believing in themselves and their abilities to achieve.

As a Speaker…

Kathleen loves to have a laugh, and values the importance of humour in sharing her experiences. No question is off limits with her talks, as she seeks to break down the social  barriers between people with and without disabilities. 

Kathleen possess a unique ability to draw out empathy and understanding from her audience, whether they be 6 or 60 years old. With the underlying message that we all have more in common with each other than we might think.

Kathleen has close to 20 years experience in public speaking/mentoring, able to cater to many different events/topics including:  

Fighting back from adversity, body image, self-esteem, learning from failure, what it means to be brave in sport, sacrifice, the importance of a balanced life, courage, goal setting, dedication, team work, embracing your difference and other peoples differences, Paralympic sport, having a go, what it means to be an elite athlete, maintaining motivation, keys to success, the impacts of bullying Vs. being kind, the different tricks you can play on people with a ‘detachable leg’!

Career Achievements: 

• 3-time National Champion with University of Illinois, 2005 - 2008
• Academic Student Athlete of the Year 2006/07
• 2006 Amsterdam World Championships team
• 2008 Beijing Paralympic Team - Bronze Medallist
• Competed at Rowing Nationals 2009 (3rd in single, 3rd in mixed double)
• 2014 Toronto World Championships team
• 2nd Australian woman to play professionally in Europe (Italy 2011-12 and Germany 2015)
• 3rd place with Roma Elecom at the 2012 European Championships in Istanbul
• 2012 -  Co-founded the Outback Academy Red Dust Heelers Program - committed to the increasing opportunity, support and awareness for Aboriginal and other Australians with Disabilities - driven by Aboriginal and other people WITH disabilities.
• 2013 - Stood up on a surf board for the first time!
• 2016 - Australian Delegate to the United Nations for the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities
• 2016 - became a proud Foster Carer and permanent fixture in the lives of 3 exceptional, resilient and inspiring teenagers.
• WA Institute of Sport Scholarship Holder 2019-2024 for Sprint Kayaking.
• 2022-2024 National Champ Women’s KL3 200m and 500m sprints
• Para-Canoe Australian Team member 2022 and 2023  ICF World Championships and 2022, 2023,2024 World Cup teams - Highest World ranking 9th at 2022 ICF Sprint Canoe World Championships.