Julie Caroline Van Keulen (née Dowling), BEM[1] (born 7 December 1959)[2] is an Australian Paralympic athlete.
Personal information | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | Julie Caroline Dowling | |||||||||||
Nationality | ![]() | |||||||||||
Born | 7 December 1959 | |||||||||||
Medal record
|
Biography
editBorn in Tasmania, Dowling had a car accident as a teenager that left her paraplegic.[2] Her first national competition was the 1981 National Para Quad Games, where she won three gold medals and broke three Australian records in javelin, shot put and discus.[2] She then competed at the 1982 FESPIC Games, where she won three gold medals at the same events, breaking a world record in the javelin. At the 1983 Stoke Mandeville Games, she won a gold medal in the javelin with yet another world record, a silver medal in the discus and a bronze medal in the shot put.[2] At the 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Paralympics, she won a gold medal in the Women's Javelin 4 event, breaking a Paralympic record. She also finished fourth in the Women's Shot Put and Women's Discus.[3][4][5][6] She retired from competition after the games.[2]
Recognition
editAfter the 1984 games, Dowling won three Mercury W.D. & H.O. Wills Star of Sport awards, a Sport Australia Award, a national Para Quad trophy for the best female athlete in international events, and a TAS TV Sportswoman of the Year Award.[2] She was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 1985 New Year Honours "for services to the physically handicapped."[1][7] In 2005, she was inducted into the Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame.[2]
References
edit- ^ a b "Dowling, Julie Caroline, BEM". It's an Honour. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Honour Role – Tasmanian Sporting Hall of Fame" (PDF). Department of Economic Development, Tasmania. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 October 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
- ^ "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2012.
- ^ "Results for Women's Javelin 4 at the 1984 Summer Paralympics". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
- ^ "Results for Women's Shot Put 4 at the 1984 Summer Paralympics". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ "Results for Women's Discus 4 at the 1984 Summer Paralympics". International Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ United Kingdom list: "No. 49969". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 1984. p. 25.