Charmaine Cree (born 1952) is an Australian athlete who won five medals at the 1980 Arnhem Paralympics

Personal

In 1976, when she was 24, Cree had her left leg amputated below the knee due to

bone cancer A bone tumor is an abnormal growth of tissue in bone, traditionally classified as noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Cancerous bone tumors usually originate from a cancer in another part of the body such as from lung, breast, thy ...

. She has two sons, who were aged seven and nine in 1979. They nicknamed her "The only bionic Mum in Sydney"; they also trained in athletics with her.

Career

A year after her operation, Cree won five medals at the Australian Amputee Sporting Association's New South Wales competition. She then won two gold medals at the 1977 FESPIC Games, and won six gold medals in the Australian Amputee Sporting Association's Queensland championships in 1979. At the 1980 Arnhem Paralympics, she won a gold medal in the Women's High Jump C event, a silver medal in the Women's Long Jump C event, and three bronze medals in the Women's 100 m C, Women's Discus C, and Women's Javelin C events.

Recognition

In 1980, Cree was named the New South Wales Sportswoman of the Year. She received an

Australian Sports Medal The Australian Sports Medal is an award given to recognise achievements in Australian sport to commemorate Australian participation in major sporting events. Original recipients of the award included competitors, coaches, sports scientists, offi ...

in 2000.

References

External links

Charmaine Cree – Athletics Australia Results
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cree, Charmaine 1952 births Living people Paralympic athletes for Australia Athletes (track and field) at the 1980 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 1980 Summer Paralympics Paralympic gold medalists for Australia Paralympic silver medalists for Australia Paralympic bronze medalists for Australia Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field) Sprinters with limb difference High jumpers with limb difference Discus throwers with limb difference Javelin throwers with limb difference Long jumpers with limb difference Paralympic sprinters Paralympic high jumpers Paralympic javelin throwers Paralympic discus throwers Paralympic long jumpers FESPIC Games competitors Recipients of the Australian Sports Medal Australian amputees Australian female sprinters Australian female high jumpers Australian female discus throwers Australian female javelin throwers Australian female long jumpers 20th-century Australian women Place of birth missing (living people)