Tom Birtwhistle is a member of the Australian Rowing Team and will make his Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
A promising young athlete, Tom rowed competitively throughout his high school years. In 2010, not long after graduating he was struck by a car while cycling to rowing training. The accident caused an impairment to his hip, leg and sacral pelvis. Tom made a brief return to rowing in 2013 before focusing on his university studies and working career.
In 2020 Tom’s passion for rowing was reignited and he returned to UTS Rowing Club. At the 2021 Australian Rowing Championships, Tom won gold in the PR3 Men’s Single Sculls. To meet classification and eligibility requirements for the PR3 Paralympic rowing category Tom travelled to Italy in June 2021 for the International Para Rowing Regatta where he won the PR3 Men’s Single Sculls event.
Tom will compete alongside fellow NSWIS athlete James Talbot in the PR3 Mixed Cox Four event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.