Mel Leckie
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born | 7 February 1984 |
| Died | 4 November 2022 (aged 38) Adelaide, South Australia, Australia |
| Sport | |
| Country | Australia |
| Sport | Cycling |
| Disability class | HC B |
Melissa Katherine Leckie (7 February 1984 – 4 November 2022)[1] was an Australian Paralympic cyclist. She competed at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Leckie was also a disability services and anti-bullying advocate.
Personal life
[edit]Leckie was born on 7 February 1984.[2] She was bullied at school as she was shorter than other classmates. On 12 June 2001, Leckie became a paraplegic after she returned to her old school and jumped from third floor in a suicide attempt.[3] She spent over 12 months as an inpatient in the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre due to the lack of government support in upgrading her family home.[4] She undertook a Bachelor of Education, Junior Primary and Primary at the University of South Australia.[5]
Leckie was an advocate for disability services. In 2012, she interrupted a speech by Prime Minister Julia Gillard at disability services conference in Sydney.[6] She highlighted that disability pension was only 57 per cent of national minimum wage.[6] In 2012, Leckie raised the issue of the lack of disability parking in Adelaide when fighting parking fines.[7]
Sport
[edit]As a child, Leckie was a talented gymnast and diver.[3] In 2002, after becoming a paraplegic, she raced against Louise Sauvage in the Adelaide's City-Bay Fun Run.[8]
Leckie took up hand-cycling in 2006 and busked in Adelaide's Rundle Mall to purchase a hand-cycle.[9] In March 2007, she competed in her first race - Wild West Handcycling Tour in Perth. In 2007, she won two silver medals at a world championship event in France.[8]
At the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, she competed in two hand-cycling events - finishing sixth in the Women's Road Individual Time Trial HC A-C and eighth in the Women's Road Individual Road Race HC A-C.[10] Leckie was a category B hand cyclist and competed against more able Category C cyclists.
Leckie was an Australian Paralympic Committee Talent Search athlete and held a South Australian Sports Institute scholarship.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ "Mel Leckie - Death Norice". Herald Sun. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- ^ a b Media Guide : 2008 Beijing. Sydney: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2008.
- ^ a b Sadler, Rahni (9 March 2010). "Beating the Bullies full transcript". Yahoo News. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- ^ "Inquiry Into Disability Care And Support - Adelaide Public Hearings, 16 June 2010" (PDF). Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- ^ "Mental Health Week 2009 - Overcoming challenges at university - Mel Leckie". University of South Australia Youtube. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- ^ a b Ireland, Judith (3 December 2012). "Disabled woman interrupts PM". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- ^ Keller, Candice (5 June 2012). "Disabled parking fine fight in court". The Advertiser. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- ^ a b Pilkington, Jarrad (7 August 2004). "Striving to race for green and gold glory". The Advertiser. p. 51.
- ^ McWhirter, Fiona (24 January 2010). "Crippled after a terrible fall, Paralympian is turning her life around to inspire others enduring torment Bullied, I tried to kill myself". Sunday Mail. p. 14.
- ^ "Mel Leckie". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 14 November 2022.