Don’t tell the people of Cairns that no one remembers the bronze medallists. Because today the people of Far North Queensland are celebrating the iconic identity Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson making Paralympic history.
Patterson and Ahmed Kelly shared the podium in the men’s 150m individual medley SM3 at Tokyo 2020, both winning their first-ever Paralympic medal.
And they repeated that feat, as ‘Scooter’ took bronze, his third medal in three Paralympic Games.
Kelly, who had previously been disqualified and later reinstated following a refereeing error during the heats, quickly shook off the tension and took silver in a time of 3:02.16, while Scooter took bronze in 3:06.94.
Born with dwarfism and diastrophic dysplasia, Patterson relies on a custom-made scooter to get around, making him a local icon in Cairns.
Despite his size, he has an enormous personality and is sometimes called the mayor of the Australian athletics village because of his booming voice and enthusiasm.
That has led many to call him a bigger hypeman than rap icon Snoop Dogg, who attended the Paris Olympics.
He is also seen as the unofficial mayor of Cairns, where he is known to most locals who celebrate his achievements today.
Grant ‘Scooter’ Patterson to compete in his third Paralympic Games in Paris
He may be small in stature, but Scooter showed his strength by winning his third medal
Scooter was born with dwarfism and diastrophic dysplasia and relies on his custom-made scooter to explore the sights of Paris.
One of them is Steven Ross, co-owner of Pressure Pumps NQ, who wants Scooter to succeed Dylan Alcott, who has also built a successful media career.
“I met Scooter almost ten years ago when he was working behind the counter at a busy local auto repair shop,” said Ross.
“He has become an integral part of our working lives and is one of those guys who makes your day better. Not only does he know what he is doing, his personality is infectious.
‘We talk football with his colleagues at the counter, complain about the ups and downs of our local basketball team. It’s a kind of catch-up when I’m in his store.
“That guy is typically Australian. Major broadcasters should take a look at him.”
Scooter started swimming at the age of 11, as it was one of the few sports available to people with diastrophic dysplasia who wanted to compete internationally.
In 2007 he met coach Andrew ‘Herbie’ Howard, who helped him in his bid to make the Australian Paralympic team in 2008, but he narrowly missed out on qualification.
Despite everything, Scooter set a world record in 2009 and won seven medals at the 2011 Pan Pacific Championships.
Cairns residents have called for Scooter to become the next Paralympic athlete to become a media personality after Dylan Alcott
Scooter may be 35, but he has no plans to retire and still hopes to compete in Brisbane 2032
Although he did not win a medal at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, it was a highlight of his career.
He won two medals at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships and finally realised his dream at Tokyo 2020 with bronze in the men’s 150m individual medley in the SM3.
Scooter also won a silver medal in the men’s 50m breaststroke SB2, setting a new Oceania record.
Now, at 35, he has done it again, winning a medal that he hopes will inspire all Australian children.
Scooter will now compete in the SB2 men’s 50m breaststroke and the S3 men’s 200m freestyle.
And Scooter has no intention of slowing down.
“To do that – not only with my dwarfism and diastrophic dysplasia – I don’t know anyone else in the world who does this,” he said.
‘I pursue these dreams and goals to inspire and motivate someone else like me to come and do this, hopefully for Brisbane 2032.’
What makes this moment even more memorable for Patterson is that he gets to have his long-time coach Andrew ‘Herbie’ Howard poolside, after officially becoming the Paralympic coach for the Australian team.
“I keep saying Herbie and I have been together for 17 years, which is longer than the average marriage in Australia, and this trip to Paris is actually our honeymoon, so we’ve taken a few pictures together and done a few sights, which is good,” Patterson said.
Patterson is now preparing to compete in the men’s SB2 (50-meter breaststroke) and men’s S3 (200-meter freestyle) events.
