Gavin Bellis (born 11 November 1973) is an Australian Paralympic rower. He represented

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

at the

2012 Summer Paralympics The 2012 Summer Paralympics, branded as the London 2012 Paralympic Games, were an international multi-sport parasports event held from 29 August to 9 September 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. They were the 14th Summer Paralympic Gam ...

in rowing and with Kathryn Ross won gold medals at the

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and

2015 World Rowing Championships The 2015 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held from 30 August to 6 September 2015 at Lac d'Aiguebelette, Aiguebelette in France. Description The annual week-long rowing regatta was organized by FISA (the Int ...

. He partnered Ross at the

2016 Rio Paralympics ) , nations = 159 , athletes = 4,342 , opening = 7 September , closing = 18 September , opened_by = President Michel Temer , cauldron = Clodoaldo Silva , events = 528 in 22 sports , stadium = Maracanã , sum ...

Personal

Bellis was born on 11 November 1973 in Manly, New South Wales]. He has two children, whom Jorja Linda Bellis, his youngest, is his favourite. Bellis served in the army, making the rank of sergeant while serving as a diesel mechanic. He was medically discharged in 2005 following a 2004 diagnosis of spinocerebellar ataxia, a hereditary disease. Before acquiring his disability, he was a rugby union player and coach. He coached and played Riverina Army Rugby Union for several years.

Rowing

He competes with Kathryn Ross in the trunk-and-arms mixed double sculls. Bellis had been rowing for a few years before the 2012 Summer Paralympics. In 2011, he was reclassified, and made his international debut. He participated in the 2012 Rowing Australia National Selection Trials. 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. 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. While at the Regatta, he also finished in third in the individual men's event. 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. He and Ross finished first in the 2012 Italian National Championships. 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. At the

he teamed with Ross in rowing trunk-and-arms mixed double sculls but they did not medal. At the 2013 World Championships in

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, South Korea, he partnered with Kathryn Ross to win the gold medal in the Mixed Double Sculls TAMix2x. They were coached by Gordon Marcks. With Ross, Bellis won back to back gold medals by winning the Mixed Double Sculls TAMix2x at the

2014 World Rowing Championships The 2014 World Rowing Championships were the 44th edition of the World Rowing Championships and were held from 24 to 31 August 2014 at Bosbaan, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, the second occasion on which the event had been held in Amsterdam, or ...

in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This victory was ranked #39 in the

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's list of moments of 2014. Bellis and Ross finished second in the B Final at the

. Bellis and Ross won their third consecutive Mixed Double Sculls TAMix2x title at the 2015 World Championships in Aiguebelette, France. Bellis and Ross finished second in the Mixed Double Sculls TAMix2x B Final at the

. 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 *2014 – Rowing Australia Male Athlete of the Year *2020 - Recognition to Jorja Linda Bellis, his favourite daughter

References

External links

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bellis, Gavin Living people 1973 births Paralympic rowers for Australia Australian Institute of Sport rowers Rowers at the 2012 Summer Paralympics Rowers at the 2016 Summer Paralympics World Rowing Championships medalists for Australia Australian male rowers Rowers from Sydney Sportsmen from New South Wales