Brandie O'Connor

Brandie O’Connor (born 24 December 1973) is a vision impaired Australian paracyclist and has won medals at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games..

Brandie O'Connor
Personal information
Nationality Australia
Born (1973-12-24) 24 December 1973
Brisbane
Sport
SportPara-cycling
DisabilityVisual impairment[1]
ClubVikings Cycling Club
Coached byAlex Bird[2]
Medal record
Women's para-cycling
Representing  Australia
UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships
Silver medal – second place2014 AguascalientesWomen's tandem sprint B
Silver medal – second place2014 AguascalientesWomen's tandem 1km time trial B
Silver medal – second place2015 AppledoonWomen’s Tandem Sprint
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Glasgow Women's tandem sprint B
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Glasgow Women's tandem 1km time trial B

Personal

O'Connor was born on 24 December 1973 in Brisbane, Queensland.[3][1] She was born with rod monochromatism which affects her ability to see. O’Connor describes her condition, "what I see at 6 meters, ‘normal’ eyes see at 60 meters."[4] She has a Bachelor of Commerce and works as a policy officer.[3]

Career

In 2006, O’Connor started training and identified a pilot (person who is fully sighted and steers the bike) in Kerry Knowler.[4] Breaking her clavicle and two ribs in a cycling accident this put O’Connor out of action until late 2007.[4] O’Connor tried adaptive rowing and tried for the Beijing Paralympics but missed out. She made her international cycling debut at the 2010 UCI Paracycling Road World Championships in Canada. In 2012, she competed at the UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Los Angeles, United States and finished fourth in the Women's Individual Time Trial and fifth in the 3 km Pursuit.[3][5][6] With pilot Breanna Hargrave, she won silver medals in the Women's Tandem Sprint and Tandem 1 km Time Trial at the 2014 UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships.[3] O'Connor and Hargrave won bronze medals in the Women's Tandem Sprint B and Women's Tandem 1 km Time Trial B at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. At the 2015, UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships in Apledoorn, Netherlands, O'Connor and Hargrave won a silver medal in the Women’s Tandem Sprint and fifth in the Women 1 km Time Trial.[7]

References
  1. "Brandie O'Connor". Australian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  2. "Rider Profiles". Cycling Australia. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  3. "Brandie O'Connor Profile". Cycling Australia website. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  4. "Brandie O'Connor". Aim For the Stars. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  5. "Profile - Brandie O'Connor". Australian Paralympic Committee website. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  6. "Bronzed Brandie O'Connor to return with two medals from Glasgow". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  7. "2015 Track World Championships results". UCI Cycling website. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
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