Gemma Dashwood

Gemma Joan Dashwood, OAM[1] (born 19 October 1977)[2] is an Australian Paralympic swimmer and medical doctor. She was born in Canberra.[2] She competed in the Les autres disability category due to her septic arthritis.[3]

Gemma Dashwood

Dashwood shows her silver medal won in the 200 m medley SM10 event at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
Personal information
Full name	Gemma Joan Dashwood
Nationality	Australia
Born	19 October 1977 Canberra
Medal record Swimming Paralympic Games 1996 Atlanta Women's 100 m Butterfly S10 1996 Atlanta Women's 400 m Freestyle S10 1996 Atlanta Women's 4x100 m Freestyle S7-10 2000 Sydney Women's 400 m Freestyle S10 1996 Atlanta Women's 100 m Freestyle S10 1996 Atlanta Women's 200 m Medley SM10 2000 Sydney Women's 200 m Medley SM10 2000 Sydney Women's 4x100 m Freestyle 34 pts IPC Swimming World Championships 1994 Valletta 100 m Butterfly S10 1994 Valletta 400 m Freestyle S10 1994 Valletta 200 m Individual medley SM10 1994 Valletta 100 m Freestyle S10 1994 Valletta 100 m Backstroke S10 1998 Christchurch 100 m Butterfly S10 1998 Christchurch 400 m Freestyle S10 1998 Christchurch 800 m Freestyle Open 1998 Christchurch 200 m Individual medley SM10 1998 Christchurch Women's 4x100 m Freestyle Open 1998 Christchurch 100 m Backstroke S10

Australian swimmer Gemma Dashwood displays one of the two gold medals she won at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games

Swimming career

She won three gold medals at the 1996 Atlanta Games in the Women's 100 m Butterfly S10, Women's 400 m Freestyle S10, and Women's 4 × 100 m Freestyle S7-10 events, for which she received a Medal of the Order of Australia.[1] At the same Games, she won two silver medals in the Women's 100 m Freestyle S10 and Women's 200 m Medley SM10 events.[4] At the 2000 Sydney Games, she won a gold medal in the Women's 400 m Freestyle S10 event, a silver medal in the Women's 200 m Medley SM10 event, and a bronze medal in the Women's 4 × 100 m Freestyle 34 pts event.[4]

She had an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship from 1995 to 2000.[5] In 1997, she moved to Newcastle to study speech therapy at the University of Newcastle and trained under Bill Nelson. She became a member of the University of Newcastle Swimming Club, where she practiced for the Sydney 2000 games.[6] She organised the 'Swimming in Parallel Calendar 2000' to raise the profile of the Australian female Paralympic swim team.[7] In 2000, she received an Australian Sports Medal.[8]

Medical career

Dashwood graduated from Canberra Girls' Grammar School in 1995. She moved to Newcastle, New South Wales to study speech pathology at the University of Newcastle. After completing her degree, she worked in England. She returned to Canberra in 2004 and enrolled in the inaugural Australian National University Medical School class and graduated in 2007. In 2009, she completed her internship with ACT Health.[9] She is an intensive care registrar at Canberra Hospital.

Dashwood has an interest in music, playing the organ and cello and singing, and plays the cello with the Australian Doctors' Orchestra.[9]

References

1. "Dashwood, Gemma Joan". It's an Honour. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
2. Australian Paralympic Federation (1996). Media guide : 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games. Sydney, Australia: Australian Paralympic Committee.
3. Ovington, Caroline (19 August 1999). "Bugarin Surges To Gold – At Last". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 29 February 2012.
4. "Athlete Search Results". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
5. Excellence : Australian Institute of Sport. Canberra: Australian Sports Commission. 2002. ISBN 1-74013-060-X.
6. "Gemma Dashwood". www.telopeaswimclub.org.au. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
7. Wilson, Chris (1 February 2000). "Gemma wants more gold". The Canberra Chronicle.
8. "Dashwood, Gemma Joan: Australian Sports Medal". It's an Honour. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
9. "Gemma Dashwood OAM". Australian National University Alumni News, March 2009. Archived from the original on 11 April 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2012.