Julie Dowling (athlete)

Julie Caroline Van Keulen (née Dowling), BEM[1] (born 7 December 1959)[2] is an Australian Paralympic athlete.

Julie Dowling
BEM
Personal information
Full nameJulie Caroline Dowling
Nationality Australia
Born (1959-12-07) 7 December 1959
Medal record
Athletics
Paralympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Women's Javelin 4

Biography

Born in Tasmania, Dowling had a car accident as a teenager that left her paraplegic.[2] Her first national competition was the 1981 National Para Quad Games, where she won three gold medals and broke three Australian records in javelin, shot put and discus.[2] She then competed at the 1982 FESPIC Games, where she won three gold medals at the same events, breaking a world record in the javelin. At the 1983 Stoke Mandeville Games, she won a gold medal in the javelin with yet another world record, a silver medal in the discus and a bronze medal in the shot put.[2] At the 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Paralympics, she won a gold medal in the Women's Javelin 4 event, breaking a Paralympic record. She also finished fourth in the Women's Shot Put and Women's Discus.[3][4][5][6] She retired from competition after the games.[2]

Recognition

After the 1984 games, Dowling won three Mercury W.D. & H.O. Wills Star of Sport awards, a Sport Australia Award, a national Para Quad trophy for the best female athlete in international events, and a TAS TV Sportswoman of the Year Award.[2] She was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 1985 New Year Honours "for services to the physically handicapped."[1][7] In 2005, she was inducted into the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame.[2]

References
  1. "Dowling, Julie Caroline, BEM". It's an Honour. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
  2. "Honour Role – Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame" (PDF). Department of Economic Development, Tasmania. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  3. "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
  4. "Results for Women's Javelin 4 at the 1984 Summer Paralympics". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  5. "Results for Women's Shot Put 4 at the 1984 Summer Paralympics". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  6. "Results for Women's Discus 4 at the 1984 Summer Paralympics". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  7. United Kingdom list: "No. 49969". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1984. p. 25.
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