Donna Smith (athlete)

Donna Maree Philp (née Smith), OAM[1] (28 June 1965 – 22 May 1999)[2][3] was an Australian Paralympic athlete and wheelchair basketballer, who won six medals at four Paralympics.

Donna Smith
Donna Smith throwing a Javelin at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics
Personal information
Full nameDonna Maree Philp (née Smith)
Nationality Australia
Born28 June 1965
Brisbane
Died22 May 1999(1999-05-22) (aged 33)
Medal record
Athletics
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place1984 New York/Stoke MandevilleWomen's Javelin A2
Gold medal – first place 1992 Barcelona Women's Javelin THS2
Silver medal – second place1984 New York/Stoke MandevilleWomen's Shot Put A2
Silver medal – second place1988 SeoulWomen's Javelin A6A8A9L6
Silver medal – second place 1992 Barcelona Women's Shot Put THS2
Bronze medal – third place1984 New York/Stoke MandevilleWomen's Discus A2

Biography

Born in Brisbane,[2] Smith was diagnosed with bone cancer at the age of thirteen, and one of her legs was amputated above the knee.[3]

At the 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Paralympics, she won a gold medal in the Women's Javelin A2 event, a silver medal in the Women's Shot Put A2 event, and a bronze medal in the Women's Discus A2 event.[4] She won a silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Paralympics in the Women's Javelin A6A8A9L6 event.[4] At the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics, she won a gold medal in the Women's Javelin THS2 event, for which she received a Medal of the Order of Australia,[1] and a silver medal in the Women's Shot Put THS2 event.[4]

She then married Tom Philp, and was part of the Australia women's national wheelchair basketball team at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics.[3][5] The couple's son was 10 months old when, while playing wheelchair basketball on 22 May 1999, she died of a heart attack at the age of 33.[3]

References
  1. "Smith, Donna Maree". It's an Honour. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  2. "Australians at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics: Wheelchair Basketballers". Australian Sports Commission. Archived from the original on 19 January 2000. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  3. "Son cycles in his mum's memory". Warrick News. 15 April 2009. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  4. "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  5. "Athlete Search Results: Donna Philp". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
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