Paris 2024: New dad Curtis McGrath hopes to make sick baby son proud
Australian Para canoeist Curtis McGrath became a father about a month before the Paralympics 28 Aug 2024
Australian Curtis McGrath is gearing up to defend double gold medal titles at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. But his heart is back home with his month-old son Monty who required an emergency operation when he was born.
Monty had a rare congenital heart defect known as transposition of the great arteries and needed open heart surgery.
It was a “rough start” to parenthood and a difficult start to life, McGrath told the IPC in the Paralympic Village, adding that Monty’s condition was improving. There were hopes he would be well enough to leave the hospital soon.
"It’s been really tough. Leaving (him) to come here has been one of the hardest things I've had to do in my sport,” McGrath said.
Fortunately, Monty is in good hands, McGrath’s wife Rachel is an intensive care unit doctor and has looked after another baby with the same condition.
“She knew all about it. I didn’t. She taught me,” he said.
“We’re lucky we have modern medicine and we are able to fix it.”
Before leaving for Europe, McGrath ensured his wife and bub had a good support network while he was away competing.
"I’m not just representing Australia, I’m representing (Monty and Rachel) as well"
"She has taken all the burden in this. It's been hard, but it means I'll be working for more," he said.
Military veteran
McGrath is no stranger to hospitals and emergency surgery.
He lost both his legs while serving as a combat engineer for the Australian Army in Afghanistan in 2012.
“My job was to search for the land mines,” he said.
“I found one with my feet. It detonated beneath me and took both my legs.”
As he was put on a stretcher and carried to the helicopter, McGrath joked about becoming a Paralympian.
“I said, ‘It’s all right guys, I’ll be ok, you’ll see me in the Paralympics,’” he said.
“It planted the seed.”
Sport became integral to his rehabilitation and recovery.
Some of McGrath’s former army colleagues will be in Paris to cheer him on.
“My guys who I served with will be at the venue watching me race,” he said.
Going for gold... again
McGrath’s paddle features an Aboriginal art design.
"It's called the journey,” he said.
"It signifies the groups of communities around Australia getting together. With the kangaroo prints, and then we got the boomerang to signify the challenges of life. "
At the Tokyo Paralympic Games, McGrath netted double gold in the kayak single 200m – KL2 and the men's Va'a Single 200m – VL3.
In 2016 at the Rio Games, he also won gold in the kayak single 200m – KL2.
“It's pretty amazing to come in as the Paralympic champion in the two events I did in Tokyo,” he said.
“It does mean there's a target on my back and I do know people are working really hard to get my spot."
McGrath is unsure if he’ll still be competing by the time the games roll around to Brisbane in 2032, which is near his home on Australia’s Gold Coast.
But he plans to be there on the sidelines cheering, along with his son Monty.
See McGrath in action in the heats for the men's kayak single 200m – KL2 and the men's Va'a Single 200m – VL3 on Friday, September 6 at the Vaires-sur-Marne Stadium.
Link to schedule: Schedule & Results - 6 Sep Para Canoe (paralympic.org)
