Kevin Cunningham (Paralympian)

Kevin Cunningham (born 11 August 1939) was a member of Australia's first Paralympic Games Team. He participated at the 1960 Rome and 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympic Games.

He was born on 11 August 1939 in Perth, Western Australia. His parents were Irene and Edward. His mother Irene died when he was six and was brought up by his grandmother. He attended Jolimont School and Perth Technical College. He undertook an apprenticeship at SW Hart & Company. In 1957, he was involved in a motor vehicle accident and thrown out of T-Model Ford. He was in a coma for three weeks and the accident resulted in both legs being amputated. His rehabitation was undertaken Shenton Park Rehabilitation Centre. In 1966, he married Maureen, a nurse from Shenton Park Rehabilitation Centre.

Seven of the members of the 1960 Australian Paralympic Team - the first - at the reunion to mark the 50th anniversary of the Games. L to R (athlete and partner): Chris O'Brien with his sister, Daphne Hilton (née Ceeney) with husband Frank, Gary Hooper with wife Jan, APC President Greg Hartung (standing in dinner suit), Bruno Moretti with wife Scarlett, Kevin Coombs with wife Linda, Kevin Cunningham with wife Maureen, and Bill Mather-Brown with wife Nadine

Cunningham's interest in Paralympic sport stemmed from his time at Shenton Park Rehabilitation Centre where he witnessed residents training for the International Stoke Mandeville Games. He participated at the 1960 Rome Games, in wheelchair fencing and wheelchair basketball. He was not selected for 1964 Tokyo Games due to an injury in selection trials in Adelaide. He participated in the 1968 Tel Aviv Games in men's slalom C in athletics and wheelchair basketball.

Cunningham participated in three Commonwealth Paraplegic Games. At the 1962 Perth Games, he competed in many events and won gold medals in the pentathlon and men's wheelchair basketball. At the 1966 Games in Kingston, Jamaica, he won a gold medal in track relay, 3 silver and two bronze medals in basketball and track and field events. He competed at the 1970 Games in Edinburgh, Scotland and then retired from Paralympic sport.