1. Ray Epstein represented Australia in weightlifting at the 1988 Seoul and 1992 Barcelona Paralympics and was Head Coach of the Australian Paralympic powerlifting team between 2003 and 2013.
15 Facts About Ray Epstein
1. 2.
Ray Epstein became a paraplegic in 1972 following a gym accident.
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Ray Epstein became a member of the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association in 1977 and competed in a number of sports including wheelchair basketball and athletics before focusing on weightlifting.
4.
Ray Epstein was admitted as a Chartered Accountant in 1985 and joined the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association as Administration and Finance Manager in 1990.
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Ray Epstein was the chief executive officer of the Association from 1998 to December 2016, and was appointed to the Board of the Queensland Academy of Sport in 2008.
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Ray Epstein represented Australia at 12 international competitions, including the 1988 Seoul Paralympic Games and 1992 Barcelona Games, where he was male Captain of the Australian Team.
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Ray Epstein was a scholarship holder under the elite athlete programs of the Australian Institute of Sport and the Queensland Academy of Sport.
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Ray Epstein started coaching towards the end of his lifting career due to a shortage of powerlifting coaching staff in Australia at that time.
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Ray Epstein was appointed Assistant National Coach Powerlifting in 1999 and became National Head Coach Powerlifting in 2003.
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Ray Epstein was Assistant Coach of the powerlifting team at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics and Head Coach for the 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, and 2012 London Paralympic Games.
11.
Notable powerlifters coached by Ray Epstein include dual Paralympic silver medalist Darren Gardiner, Abebe Fekadu, and pioneering female lifters Julie Russell and Deahnne McIntyre.
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Ray Epstein announced his retirement as Australian Paralympic Powerlifting head coach in July 2013.
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Ray Epstein was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the 1994 Queen's Birthday Honours List for services to people with a disability and the sport of weightlifting, and received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000.
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Ray Epstein was named the Coach of the Year by the Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association in 1998,2004, and 2006.
15.
Ray Epstein won the Inspiring Individual Award at the 2014 Queensland Disability Awards.