John Bertrand called me!!

I got a phone call from John Bertrand a few months back. It wasn't a wrong number. I had to sit down.

My family had a sailing boat when I was a kid and I have such fabulous memories of school holidays spent on the water around the bays north of Sydney. I even spent some time on the boat recovering from my leg amputation when I was nine. At home in Canberra, we always watched the big sailing races like the Sydney to Hobart and the America's Cup and one of my strongest and best memories as a kid was getting up early to watch Australia beat the US to win the America's Cup. It was magical!!

John Bertrand skippered Australia II to victory at the 1983 America's Cup. It was September, about a year after surgery to remove my leg. I was still recovering. The winter before I had taken my first few runs on snow with just one leg but I was still only at the very beginning of my recovery. To be honest, I remember being pretty flat and not happy at all that I had to wear a prosthetic leg. I think it was about that time that I threw my leg against the wall and shattered it into too many pieces. I just wanted a real one. 

However, the weather was warming up which meant the summer school holidays weren't far away and we would be off sailing in just a couple of months.

The build-up to the final race of the America's Cup had been nothing short of gripping. In its 132 year history, every single America's Cup had been won by the New York Yacht Club. They had successfully defended the cup 26 times in a row, the longest (in terms of time) winning streak in the history of sport.

The Australia II Crew had fought back from a 3-1 deficit to be 3-3 going into the final race. I had watched every race. The yacht itself was funded by Alan Bond, designed by Ben Lexcen and skippered by John Bertrand. It was the third time the syndicate from Perth Royal Yacht Club had attempted to topple the Americans. The revolutionary "winged keel" was subject to controversy from the outset of the challenger series where Australia II raced against other international boats for the right to take on the US defender.

The New York Yacht Club alleged that the winged keel boat on Australia II was not a legal 12 Metre and that the keel had been designed by a Dutchman and not Lexcen. None of their protests succeeded, the keel was kept under wraps and the media went nuts. Dad and I talked ad nauseum about that keel, trying to catch glimpses of it in the water and on the dock when they pulled the boat up. We were as curious as everyone else.

The title for the cup came down to the seventh and final race. I don't remember much about the actual race. It was an early start I know that. Mum and dad had a TV in their bedroom so we were all in bed watching excitedly, like everyone else in Australia. Australia II had come from behind and looked the fastest boat. If the crew could ride above the enormous pressure they must have been feeling, make good decisions and hold their nerve against a determined American crew on Liberty, they could actually win! It literally came down to skipper against skipper, Betrand versus Connor.

As we know, Australia II was victorious and the Prime Minister basically gave everyone the day off. And, from that day on, that whole crew and especially the skipper John Bertrand have been heroes of mine. I read his book "Born to Win" soon after while I was still in primary school. If you haven't read it, please do so.

Now, back to that phone call. I guess you're wondering why he called me. Well, he was phoning to let me know that I would be elevated from Sport Australia Hall of Fame Member to Legend on 18^th November at the annual dinner. I was inducted ten years ago in 2014, the third Paralympic inductee. Soon, along with squash player Geoff Hunt, I will become the 51st "Legend" of Australian Sport and the first skier to make the list.

I was so honoured ten years ago just to be inducted as a member and now, on the cusp of becoming a "Legend", I'm not sure I am worthy of standing alongside the likes of Don Bradman, Rod Laver and Dawn Fraser: I'm still reeling from getting a phone call from John Bertrand!

Photo: That's me on the right and the truly legendary John Bertrand on the left. This is also a rare photo of my left leg!