Ray Epstein

Epstein was born in Brisbane. He became a paraplegic in 1972 following a gym accident.[4] He became a member of the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association in 1977 and competed in a number of sports including wheelchair basketball and athletics before focusing on weightlifting.[4]

He was admitted as a Chartered Accountant in 1985[5] and joined the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association as Administration and Finance Manager in 1990.[6] He was the chief executive officer of the Association from 1998 to December 2016,[6] and was appointed to the Board of the Queensland Academy of Sport in 2008.[7]

In 2002, his wife Vicki wrote the book Step by step we conquer : the story of Queensland's Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association.[8]

Ray Epstein lifting at the 1992 Barcelona Paralympics

Epstein competed in state, national and international weightlifting/powerlifting (bench press) competitions for athletes with a disability from 1979 to 1995. He took a break from competition in 1983–84 to pursue a professional qualification in accounting. He represented Australia at 12 international competitions, including the 1988 Seoul Paralympic Games and 1992 Barcelona Games, where he was male Captain of the Australian Team.[9][10]

His career highlights included silver medals at the World Wheelchair Weightlifting Championships in 1990 (Saint-Etienne, France)[11] and 1991 (Rhode Island, United States),[9] and gold medals and world records in the 56 kg division at the 1993 World Cup in Northampton, England[12] and the 1994 World Wheelchair Weightlifting Championships (Melbourne).[13] During his career, he held Australian records in five separate body weight categories from 48 kg to 67.5 kg bodyweight divisions.[5] He was a scholarship holder under the elite athlete programs of the Australian Institute of Sport (1992 and 1995)[14] and the Queensland Academy of Sport (1992–1995).[15]

Following his retirement in 1995, he became an accredited IPC Powerlifting Referee.[16]

Epstein started coaching towards the end of his lifting career due to a shortage of powerlifting coaching staff in Australia at that time. He was appointed Assistant National Coach Powerlifting in 1999 and became National Head Coach Powerlifting in 2003.[17]

He was Assistant Coach of the powerlifting team at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics[2] and Head Coach for the 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, and 2012 London Paralympic Games.[18][19][20]

Notable powerlifters coached by Epstein include dual Paralympic silver medalist Darren Gardiner, Abebe Fekadu, and pioneering female lifters Julie Russell and Deahnne McIntyre.[20][21][22]

He announced his retirement as Australian Paralympic Powerlifting head coach in July 2013.[3]

Epstein was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the 1994 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to people with a disability and the sport of weightlifting,[1] and received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000.[23] He was named the Coach of the Year by the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association in 1998, 2004, and 2006.[15] He won the Inspiring Individual Award at the 2014 Queensland Disability Awards. At the 2016 Queensland Sport Awards, he was awarded a Service to Sport Award.[24]