Melissa Katherine Leckie (7 February 1984 – 4 November 2022) was an Australian Paralympic cyclist. She competed at the

2008 Beijing Paralympics The 2008 Summer Paralympic Games (), the 13th Summer Paralympic Games, took place in Beijing, China from September 6 to 17, 2008. As with the 2008 Summer Olympics, equestrian events were held in Hong Kong and sailing events in Qingdao. It was f ...

. Leckie was also a disability services and anti-bullying advocate.

Personal life

Leckie was born on 7 February 1984. She was bullied at school as she was shorter than other classmates. On 12 June 2001, Leckie became a paraplegic after she returned to her old school and jumped from third floor in a suicide attempt. She spent over 12 months as an inpatient in the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre due to the lack of government support in upgrading her family home. She undertook a Bachelor of Education, Junior Primary and Primary at the University of South Australia. Leckie was an advocate for disability services. In 2012, she interrupted a speech by Prime Minister

Julia Gillard Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is an Australian former politician who served as the 27th prime minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013, holding office as leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). She is the first and only ...

at disability services conference in Sydney. She highlighted that disability pension was only 57 per cent of national minimum wage. In 2012, Leckie raised the issue of the lack of disability parking in

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

when fighting parking fines.

Sport

As a child, Leckie was a talented gymnast and diver. In 2002, after becoming a paraplegic, she raced against

Louise Sauvage Alix Louise Sauvage, OAM (born 18 September 1973) is an Australian paralympic wheelchair racer and leading coach. Sauvage is often regarded as the most renowned disabled sportswoman in Australia. She won nine gold and four silver medals at fo ...

in the Adelaide's City-Bay Fun Run. Leckie took up hand-cycling in 2006 and busked in Adelaide's Rundle Mall to purchase a hand-cycle. In March 2007, she competed in her first race - Wild West Handcycling Tour in Perth. In 2007, she won two silver medals at a world championship event in France. At the

, she competed in two hand-cycling events - finishing sixth in the Women's Road Individual Time Trial HC A-C and eighth in the Women's Road Individual Road Race HC A-C. Leckie was a category B hand cyclist and competed against more able Category C cyclists. Leckie was an Australian Paralympic Committee Talent Search athlete and held a

South Australian Sports Institute Sport plays an important role in the business, community, social and cultural life in South Australia. Sport as entertainment plays an important role with South Australia having the second highest rate of event attendance of all states and terri ...

scholarship.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leckie, Mel 1984 births 2022 deaths Australian female cyclists Paralympic cyclists for Australia Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Sportswomen from South Australia Australian disability rights activists