It was Kieran Modra’s time to shine at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games. In Athens, Kieran won a gold medal in the 200m sprint and the 4km time trial and a bronze medal in the 110km road race. He also competed in the 1000m individual pursuit and the 40km time trial, making him the first ever cyclist to compete in all five cycling events at a Paralympic Games. The Beijing Games proved just as fruitful, winning gold in the individual pursuit in world record time and a bronze medal in the 1km time trial.

Labelled a pioneer in tandem cycling, Kieran has competed many times as a Paralympian and at various sporting championships over his cycling career, which has spanned two decades. In 1987, Kieran began pole vaulting and in 1988 he represented his country at the Seoul Paralympics in javelin. After suffering a knee injury, he took up swimming to aid his recovery and began swimming competitively in 1990. He became so good that he made the 1992 Barcelona Paralympic swim team and won bronze in the 100m and 200m backstroke.

It wasn’t until 1995 that Kieran took up the sport he made his own. In 1997, he was awarded an Order of Australia Medal and was one of three finalists in South Australia’s Young Achievers Award. In 1999, he won the South Australia Premier’s Award for Outstanding Achievement.