27 Facts About Jessica Gallagher

Jessica Gallagher was born on 14 March 1986 and is an Australian Paralympic alpine skier, track and field athlete, tandem cyclist and rower.

Jessica Gallagher was Australia's second female Winter Paralympian, and the first Australian woman to win a medal at the Winter Paralympics at the 2010 Vancouver Games.

Jessica Gallagher competed at the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, where she won a bronze medal in the women's giant slalom visually impaired.

Jessica Gallagher is legally blind, and represents Australia internationally in three sports: skiing, athletics and cycling.

Jessica Gallagher has represented the state of Victoria as a junior in netball and basketball.

Jessica Gallagher has been selected in track cycling at the 2024 Paris Paralympics- her fourth Paralympics.

Jessica Gallagher was born on 14 March 1986 and lives in the Geelong suburb of Highton.

Jessica Gallagher is an ambassador for the Australian Paralympic Committee, Vision Australia, Seeing Eye Dogs Australia, Vision 2020 Australia, Kx Pilates and 2XU.

Jessica Gallagher is legally blind due to Best's disease, a rare condition.

Jessica Gallagher started to lose her eyesight when she was a teenager, having received the results of tests while she was competing at the U17 national netball championships.

Jessica Gallagher was appointed to the Board of Vision 2020 Australia in June 2015 and is a member of its Member, Finance and Audit Committee.

In December 2023, Jessica Gallagher was awarded Honorary Doctor of Social Science by RMIT University.

Jessica Gallagher played netball and basketball with able-bodied competitors, having first participated at the elite level in both sports as she started to lose her vision.

Jessica Gallagher is a snowboarder, having taken up the sport while on a working holiday in Vail, Colorado before she found out about the Winter Paralympic Games.

Jessica Gallagher was the first Australian woman to win a medal at the Winter Paralympics, and Australia's second female Winter Paralympian.

Jessica Gallagher was given the opportunity to compete at the highest levels in skiing after being identified during a talent search and because of her snowboarding experience.

Jessica Gallagher is coached by Steve Graham, who coached Michael Milton and is the current head coach of the Australian Institute of Sport's Winter Paralympic program.

Jessica Gallagher first represented Australia in 2009 at the New Zealand Winter Games, where she won a gold medal.

At the 2014 Sochi Paralympics, Jessica Gallagher won a bronze medal in the women's giant slalom visually impaired and came seventh in the women's giant slalom visually impaired.

Jessica Gallagher has been in the Australian Institute of Sport Alpine Skiing Program since 2009.

Jessica Gallagher is an athletics competitor, competing in long jump, discus, shot put, javelin and sprinting, She became involved in athletics after learning about the Paralympics.

Jessica Gallagher holds several records in the F13 classification, including Australian and Oceanian records in the long jump, javelin and shot put, and an Australian record in discus.

Jessica Gallagher was disappointed with these results, having suffered a severe tear in her meniscus during training that forced her to use crutches in the month leading up to the competition.

Jessica Gallagher said: I love the unique cultural experience each host city brings.

Jessica Gallagher was encouraged to take up cycling by Victorian Institute of Sport coach Glenn Doney.

Jessica Gallagher believes that track cycling is easier than downhill skiing.

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, Jessica Gallagher won gold medals in the women's tandem sprint B and time trial B with pilot Caitlin Ward.