Helena Brunner

{{Infobox sportsperson|

| name = Helena Brunner

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| fullname = Helena Martha Brunner

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| nationality = {{AUS}}

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| birth_date =1957/1958

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{{MedalGold | 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville |Women's 100 m Backstroke A4}}

{{MedalGold | 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville |Women's 100 m Freestyle A4}}

{{MedalGold | 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville |Women's 400 m Freestyle A4}}

{{MedalGold | 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville |Women's 4x100 m Freestyle Relay A1–A9}}

{{MedalGold | 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville |Women's 4x100 m Medley Relay A1–A9}}

{{MedalSilver | 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville |Women's 200 m Individual Medley A4}}

{{MedalBronze | 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville |Women's 100 m Breaststroke A4}}

}}

Helena Martha Brunner, OAM,{{cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/887388|title=Brunner, Helena Martha, OAM|publisher=It's an Honour|access-date=10 February 2012}} (born 1957 or 1958{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}}) is an Australian swimmer, who won seven medals at the 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Games.

Personal

As a teenager, Brunner represented her state of New South Wales in national able-bodied swimming competitions, but she quit swimming at the age of seventeen; she was then briefly interested in water polo.{{cite news |date=24 October 2000 |title=Helena to present floral tributes |work=Peninsula News |url=http://www.peninsulanews.info/2000/1024/default.aspx?item=Helena |url-status=dead |access-date=10 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200727164334/http://peninsula.news/2000/1024/default.aspx?item=Helena |archive-date=2020-07-27}} After finishing school, she attended Goulburn College of Advanced Education.

In 1978 at the age of 20, she had a severe motorcycle accident while delivering mail for Australia Post; as a result, her right leg was amputated below the knee two years later. During her rehabilitation, she met someone who suggested that she take up swimming again.

Eighteen months after the 1984 Paralympics, she had a daughter. She also worked as a teacher.

Swimming career

At the 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Paralympics, Brunner won five gold medals in the Women's 100 m Backstroke A4, Women's 100 m Freestyle A4, Women's 400 m Freestyle A4, Women's 4x100 m Freestyle Relay A1–A9, and Women's 4x100 m Individual Medley Relay A1–A9 events, a silver medal in the Women's 200 m Individual Medley A4 event, and a bronze medal in the Women's 100 m Breaststroke A4 event.{{cite web|url=https://www.paralympic.org/helena-brunner|title=Helena Brunner|publisher=International Paralympic Committee|access-date=13 March 2023}}{{cite web|url=https://www.paralympic.org/stoke-mandeville-new-york-1984/results/swimming|title=Stoke Mandeville & New York 1984 – swimming|publisher=International Paralympic Committee|access-date=13 March 2023}} She broke five world records at the 1984 games and fourteen throughout her career. Some of them still stand; however, the classification system for swimming has since been changed.

Recognition

In 1985, Brunner received a Medal of the Order of Australia "in recognition of service to the sport of swimming". She presented the floral tributes to medallists in the amputee swimming events at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.