Personal information | |
---|---|
Nationality | Australian |
Born | 7 February 1984 |
Died | 4 November 2022 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia | (aged 38)
Sport | |
Country | Australia |
Sport | Cycling |
Disability class | HC B |
Melissa Katherine Leckie (7 February 1984 – 4 November 2022) [1] was an Australian Paralympic cyclist. She competed at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Leckie was also a disability services and anti-bullying advocate.
Leckie was born on 7 February 1984. [2] 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. [3] 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. [4] She undertook a Bachelor of Education, Junior Primary and Primary at the University of South Australia. [5]
Leckie was an advocate for disability services. In 2012, she interrupted a speech by Prime Minister Julia Gillard at disability services conference in Sydney. [6] She highlighted that disability pension was only 57 per cent of national minimum wage. [6] In 2012, Leckie raised the issue of the lack of disability parking in Adelaide when fighting parking fines. [7]
As a child, Leckie was a talented gymnast and diver. [3] In 2002, after becoming a paraplegic, she raced against Louise Sauvage in the Adelaide's City-Bay Fun Run. [8]
Leckie took up hand-cycling in 2006 and busked in Adelaide's Rundle Mall to purchase a hand-cycle. [9] 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. [8]
At the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, 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. [10] 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 scholarship. [2]
Personal information | |
---|---|
Nationality | Australian |
Born | 7 February 1984 |
Died | 4 November 2022 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia | (aged 38)
Sport | |
Country | Australia |
Sport | Cycling |
Disability class | HC B |
Melissa Katherine Leckie (7 February 1984 – 4 November 2022) [1] was an Australian Paralympic cyclist. She competed at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Leckie was also a disability services and anti-bullying advocate.
Leckie was born on 7 February 1984. [2] 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. [3] 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. [4] She undertook a Bachelor of Education, Junior Primary and Primary at the University of South Australia. [5]
Leckie was an advocate for disability services. In 2012, she interrupted a speech by Prime Minister Julia Gillard at disability services conference in Sydney. [6] She highlighted that disability pension was only 57 per cent of national minimum wage. [6] In 2012, Leckie raised the issue of the lack of disability parking in Adelaide when fighting parking fines. [7]
As a child, Leckie was a talented gymnast and diver. [3] In 2002, after becoming a paraplegic, she raced against Louise Sauvage in the Adelaide's City-Bay Fun Run. [8]
Leckie took up hand-cycling in 2006 and busked in Adelaide's Rundle Mall to purchase a hand-cycle. [9] 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. [8]
At the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, 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. [10] 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 scholarship. [2]