St George Cycling Club member Amanda Reid has capped an already outstanding 12 months by being named the sportsperson of the year at this year’s NAIDOC Awards.
Reid competed in her second Paralympic Games in Rio last year, winning a silver medal in the C2 500 metres time trial.
It was an incredible effort from the then 19-year-old, who only took up cycling in 2015. Only days before traveling to Rio, Reid feared she had broken her arm after a heavy fall in training.
As the second last time trial rider in the final Reid knew she had secured either silver or gold with her time, only to be edged out by a world record-adjusted time from Dutch woman Alyda Norbrius. Reid posted a C2 Paralympic Games record time of 40.354, adjusted to 37.581 under the C1-C3 classification.
Reid, who has cerebral palsy and an intellectual disability, also competed in swimming as a 15-year-old at the London 2012 Paralympics.
In March, Reid traveled to Los Angeles for the UCI World Para Track Championships where she won the C2 500m time trial and C2 3km individual pursuit. She also finished second in the C1-C3 10km scratch race.
As part of NAIDOC Week, the Australian Paralympic Committee and First Peoples Disability Network Australia recognised Reid with the unveiling of a plaque on the Indigenous Paralympian honour board at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence.
Reid was added to the board alongside track and field athlete Torita Blake and 1972 Paralympian Ray Barrett.