Gavin Bellis

Gavin Bellis (born 11 November 1973) is an Australian Paralympic rower. He represented Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in rowing and with Kathryn Ross won gold medals at the 2013 , 2014 and 2015 World Rowing Championships. He partnered Ross at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.[1]

Gavin Bellis
2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (1973-11-11) 11 November 1973
Sport
CountryAustralia
SportRowing
Medal record
World Championships
Gold medal – first place2013 ChungjuMixed Double Sculls – TAMix2x
Gold medal – first place2014 AmsterdamMixed Double Sculls – TAMix2x
Gold medal – first place2015 AiguebeletteMixed Double Sculls – TAMix2x

Personal

Bellis was born on 11 November 1973 in Manly, New South Wales].[2][3][4] He has two children, whom Jorja Linda Bellis, his youngest, is his favourite.[2]

Bellis served in the army, making the rank of sergeant[3] while serving as a diesel mechanic.[2] He was medically discharged in 2005 following a 2004 diagnosis of spinocerebellar ataxia, a hereditary disease.[2] Before acquiring his disability, he was a rugby union player and coach.[2] He coached and played Riverina Army Rugby Union for several years.[2][5][6]

Rowing

He competes with Kathryn Ross in the trunk-and-arms mixed double sculls.[7][8][9]

Bellis and Kathryn Ross competing at the 2012 London Paralympics

Bellis had been rowing for a few years before the 2012 Summer Paralympics.[2][3] In 2011, he was reclassified,[3] and made his international debut.[2] He participated in the 2012 Rowing Australia National Selection Trials.[3] He competed at the 2012 International Adaptive Regatta in Gavirate, Italy with Ross on the first day of competition and went on to win a silver medal with Ross in the trunk-and-arms mixed double sculls event.[2][10] Following this event, he became Ross' regular rowing partner for purposes of Paralympic qualification, because he was slightly faster than the other contender, John Maclean.[4] While at the Regatta, he also finished in third in the individual men's event.[2] He and Ross came in first at the 2012 World Rowing Cup 3, in Munich, Germany. At the event, they competed in a Filippi row boat, which was not their normal boat.[2][7][8][11] He and Ross finished first in the 2012 Italian National Championships.[2] At the June 2012 World Cup in Monaco of Bavaria, he and Ross finished first with a time of 4'10 "34 in the Double Adaptive TAMix event.[12] At the 2012 Summer Paralympics he teamed with Ross in rowing trunk-and-arms mixed double sculls[2][8][13][14] but they did not medal.[15]

At the 2013 World Championships in Chungju, South Korea, he partnered with Kathryn Ross to win the gold medal in the Mixed Double Sculls TAMix2x.[16] They were coached by Gordon Marcks.[16] With Ross, Bellis won back to back gold medals by winning the Mixed Double Sculls TAMix2x at the 2014 World Rowing Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands.[17] This victory was ranked #39 in the International Paralympic Committee's list of moments of 2014.[18] Bellis and Ross finished second in the B Final at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.[19]

Bellis and Ross won their third consecutive Mixed Double Sculls TAMix2x title at the 2015 World Championships in Aiguebelette, France.[20] Bellis and Ross finished second in the Mixed Double Sculls TAMix2x B Final at the 2016 Rio Paralympics.[21]

Bellis is currently training for the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Recognition
  • 2013 – World Rowing Para-Crew of the Year with his rowing partner Kathryn Ross[22]
  • 2014 – Rowing Australia Male Athlete of the Year[23]
  • 2020 - Recognition to Jorja Linda Bellis, his favourite daughter

References
  1. "Australian Paralympic Rowers to turn silver into gold". Australian Paralympic Committee News. 11 July 2016. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  2. "Gavin Bellis". Australia: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2012. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
  3. Kate Butler (23 March 2012). "Ross' Games partner yet to be finalised". The Warrnambool Standard. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  4. Kate Butler (9 May 2012). "Fresh twist for Ross as Paralympic Games partner selected". The Warrnambool Standard. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  5. "Teamwork approach to rugby recruitment". Army. 2 April 2009. p. 26. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  6. "A very civil(ian) approach to Riverina rugby". Army. 11 June 2009. p. 25. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  7. Aidan Fawkes (19 June 2012). "After unexpected World Cup triumph, Ross declares best is yet to come". The Warrnambool Standard. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  8. "Ross selected on Australian rowing team for Paralympic Games". The Warrnambool Standard. 20 June 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  9. Meagan Rooth (7 April 2012). "Ross selected for second shot at Paralympics' glory". The Warrnambool Standard. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  10. "• News Article". World Rowing. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  11. "Team GB mixed adaptive coxed four takes victory over Germany in Munich". inside world parasport. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  12. "Monaco di Baviera: oro per Ruta nel singolo Pesi Leggeri". Radiowebitalia.it. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
  13. "WEEKEND SCOREBOARD". The Australian. Australia. 2 April 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  14. "2012 Aust Rowing Team". Australia: AAP News. 1 April 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  15. "Gavin Bellis". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  16. "Golden Day for Australian Crews". Rowing Australia News. 28 August 2013. Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2013.
  17. "Two golds for Australian rowing at the World champs". Sportsfan, 28 August 2014. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
  18. "IPC's no 39 moment of 2014 : Bellis and Ross' Para-rowing world title win". Australian Paralympic Committee News. 24 November 2014. Archived from the original on 2 March 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  19. Greenwood, Emma (13 September 2016). "Gold Coast rower Gavin Bellis devastated after missing Paralympic final in Rio". Gold Coast Bulletin. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  20. "Horrie, Ross and Bellis crowned champions three years in a row". Australian Paralympic Committee News. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  21. "TA Mixed Double Sculls - TAMix2x - Standings". Rio Paralympics Official site. Archived from the original on 14 November 2016. Retrieved 13 November 2016.
  22. "Gavin Bellis, Kathryn Ross named Para-Crew of Year". International Paralympic Committee News. 8 November 2013. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  23. "Ross and Bellis named 2014 Female and Male Rowers of the Year". Rowing Australia Media Release. 28 March 2015. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
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