Thanks for taking the time to get in contact with me. I get
hundreds of emails and letters asking questions about my life.
Unfortunately I don’t have the time to answer all of the
questions individually so I’ve picked the most common ones and
answered them on this sheet. There are more questions,
information and videos on my website www.kurtfearnley.com
Kurt
I like to train and race in Oakley
sunglasses. I spend a lot of time
out in the sun so it’s important
that I protect my eyes.
Triceps are the most
important muscle for
racing. Most of your arm
movement is an
extension of your
elbow.
Racing wheelchairs
My racing wheelchair is like an extension
of my body. I spend about 40 hours a
week in it and another 10 hours in my
handcycle. In an average week I train
twice a day, six days a week and travel
about 200km.
This gadget is called a
compensator and helps me
steer my wheelchair. It’s also
got a brake attached but I don’t
like slowing down very often!
I wear leather gloves with
metal inserts to protect my
hands. Rather than pushing the
wheels, I punch them with my
knuckles and control the punch
with my thumb
I race for Team Invacare in a Top End
Eliminator racing wheelchair. The
chair is made especially for me and
weighs about 6 Kg. The fastest I’ve
been in it is about 80 km/h
My Personal Best Times
800 metres: 1min 32.73secs Greece 2004
1500 metres: 2mins 55.71secs Switzerland 2010
5000 metres: 9mins 54.74secs Switzerland 2010
10,000 metres (track): 19mins 51.03secs Switzerland 2010
10,000 metres (road): 18mins 38.23secs USA 2004
Marathon: 1hr 18mins 51secs Boston USA 2011
FAQs
When did you start racing and do you remember your first
competitive race?
I started racing in 1995 when I was 14 years old. It was at a
school carnival, on a grass track in my normal day wheelchair
not a specialised racing chair.
What is the best advice you received for your athletic career
and who did it come from?
My coach Andrew Dawes once said to me “Train hard, race
easy”, which means the more work you do in training the
easier it is in a race. I’m not sure if he came up with it but it
works for me.
What sports and sports teams do you follow?
I follow a lot of sports but rugby league and cycling are my
favourites. I’ve got a few teams that I fancy in league but I’m
a big Blues origin fan. In cycling, I love following the Tour de
France and all the Aussies that race. Mark Renshaw who
used to ride with the HTC-Highroad team is a good mate of
mine who I train with in Bathurst.
If you weren't a wheelchair racer, what would you be
doing?
I’d probably be cranky Mr Fearnley at a high school
somewhere in NSW.I studied Human Movement and
Education at university and am a qualified school teacher.
What are some things you are good at and bad at?
I’m not one to boast but I do cook a mean Turducken –
Google it, it’s great. I’m not the most organised guy though.
In 2010 I turned up to the Delhi Commonwealth Games with
my athlete accreditation sitting on my dinner table at home
in Newcastle.
Have you ever done any other wheelchair sports?
I played basketball when I first started competing and made
the Australian junior team. Once I got into athletics though I
was hooked and there was no turning back.
Do you plan on going to the next Paralympics?
Sure do! I plan to race the 800m, 1500m, 5000m and
marathon in London.
What is your advice for wheelchair racers that are young
and want to start competing?
Train train train! Look after your body and listen to it. Rest
when you need to and compete whenever you can. Whether
it’s a 100m race at your school athletics carnival or one of
the big road races like the City2Surf or the Oz Day 10km, get
out there and give it a go.
How many wheelchairs do you own?
I’ve got one day chair, three racing chairs and a handcycle. I
get a new race chair every 12 to 18 months and replace my
day chair every four or five years.
Why did you crawl the Kokoda Track?
I wanted to do something amazing with my family and
couldn’t think of a better way to get together and to raise a
bite of awareness and money for Movember
Favourites
Colour
TV Show
Movie
Music
Marathon
Food
Drink
City
Sunnies
Heart Rate Monitor
Clothes
Phone
Computer
Athlete
Green and Gold
Entourage
The Big Lebowski
Johnny Cash
New York
Chocolate
Piccolo Latte
New York
Oakley
Garmin
2XU & Bauhaus
iPhone
Mac
Cadel Evans