Discus thrower Dan Greaves on longevity, developing parasport and competing in front of his family
That Dan Greaves recently watched his earliest Paralympic performances thanks to the wonders of VHS tape is perhaps a testament to his longevity at the top level of his sport.
Starting in Sydney in 2000, the 41-year-old is set to compete in his seventh career Games and become the first track and field athlete to win a medal at age 1 since making history in Tokyo three years ago. in a row, his hopes are high of making it a magnificent seven.
She admits to some disbelief that she’s made it this far, and the excitement of putting on her Paralympic gear or preparing for the big event hasn’t been dimmed by time or having been through it all before. Greaves’ excitement level is also rising because of the numbers he’s been seeing in practice.
“Being selected always means a lot,” he says. “I feel a bit like the grandfather of the team. These young rascals get a spot on the team, but that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.
“If you had told me in Sydney in 2000 that I would still be going 24 years later, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But I really like sports and I like hurling. I would still do it even if I wasn’t at this level, so that kept me going.
“The love for the sport has really motivated me to work hard. Since I’m still competitive, with some medal chances and constantly improving, I’m going to keep progressing as long as possible. 24 years is an absolute dream and to make it seven Games is just incredible.”
Dan Greaves
Picking a favorite moment in those 24 years is still a relatively simple process for Greaves. It was at the 2004 Athens Games that he won the only Paralympic gold of his career, setting a world record of 55.12m for F44/F46 in the process. It’s a play he recently reviewed.
“I managed to get some footage from an old VHS video of Athens,” he smiles. “It was just magical to see some of those moments that weren’t captured on television, but captured on a hand-held camera. It was great to go back down memory lane.
“I think being the Paralympic champion and breaking the world record in 2004 is probably my biggest achievement because it’s the pinnacle.”
» This is an edited version of a longer feature available in the latest issue of AW magazine. To purchase a copy click here
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