Kurt Fearnley named International Day of People with Disability 2019 Patron

Kurt Fearnley, International Day of People with Disability patron for 2019, is a man who has achieved things most of us can only dream of.

Kurt has won three Paralympic gold medals, two Commonwealth Games gold medals, and more than 40 marathons, including the New York, Chicago and London marathons.

He climbed Papua New Guinea’s Kokoda Track to raise awareness for men’s health in 2009, and in 2012 was part of the crew that steered the Investec Loyal to victory in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Kurt is also a proud husband and father, teacher, public speaker, an Officer of the Order of Australia, and was recently named New South Wales Australian of the Year for 2019.

As 2019 patron of International Day of People with Disability, Kurt hopes to encourage Australians to take concrete action, to help make change in the lives of people with disability.

“What I most want to achieve as this years’ patron is for people to use International Day of People with Disability as a launching pad for further action,” he said.

“People with disability are entitled to the same respect, independence and choice as others. We need to talk honestly about the barriers in society that prevent this and work together to break them down.”