Tim Sullivan (athlete)

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| name = Tim Sullivan

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| caption = 2012 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Sullivan

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| birth_date = 16 September 1975

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Timothy ("Tim") Francis Sullivan, OAM{{cite web |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/886967 |title=Sullivan, Timothy Francis, OAM |publisher=It's an Honour |access-date=25 January 2012 |archive-date=29 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129021323/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/886967 |url-status=live }} (born 16 September 1975){{cite web |url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/team/tim-sullivan |title=Tim Sullivan |publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |access-date=8 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120831131034/http://www.paralympic.org.au/team/tim-sullivan |archive-date=31 August 2012 |url-status=dead}} is an Australian Paralympic athlete. File:231000 - Athletics track 200m T38 final Tim Sullivan gold action 2 - 3b - 2000 Sydney race photo.jpg

Personal

File:301000 - Athletics track Tim Sullivan gold medal - 3b - 2000 Sydney medal photo.jpgSullivan was born in Melbourne, Australia. When Tim was eight years old, he was riding his bike to a park with his sister and a friend when they were approached by a couple of kids. One had a broken glass bottle and was threatening them. They started to chase Sullivan with the bottle. Due to this he ran on to a road and was struck by a car. From this accident Sullivan suffered cerebral palsy. It limits his verbal communication: he speaks in tiny, fast sentences and sometimes one word answers. It has also limited the use of the right side of his body.

Career

File:040912 - Tim Sullivan - 3b - 2012 Summer Paralympics (01).jpg

Tim Sullivan, is an Australian athlete who has won ten{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/tim-sullivan |title=Tim Sullivan |website=Paralympic.org |publisher=International Paralympic Committee |access-date= }} gold medals at the Paralympic Games.[http://news.theage.com.au/sport/aussie-paralympic-athletics-squad-named-20080701-2zz1.html "Aussie Paralympic athletics squad named"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080917144857/http://news.theage.com.au/sport/aussie-paralympic-athletics-squad-named-20080701-2zz1.html |date=17 September 2008 }}, The Age, 1 July 2008 This includes five gold medals at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney (T38 200m; T38 100m; T38 400m; T38 4X400m relay; T38 4X100m relay),[http://www.yprl.vic.gov.au/cdroms/yearbook2002/cd/wcd00002/wcd00267.htm "A look back at the Sydney Olympics and Paralympics"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723165242/http://www.yprl.vic.gov.au/cdroms/yearbook2002/cd/wcd00002/wcd00267.htm |date=23 July 2008 }}, Australian Bureau of Statistics in which he received a Medal of the Order of Australia for his 'service to sport'. Tim also won four gold medals at the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, in the T38 100m, 200m and 400m events, and as a member of the men's 4 × 100 m Relay team.[http://www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/News/Current_Affairs/2004_11_01_a.html "Sullivan Wins Prestigious Award Down Under"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070806195529/http://www.paralympic.org/release/Main_Sections_Menu/News/Current_Affairs/2004_11_01_a.html |date=6 August 2007 }}, International Paralympic Committee, 1 November 2004 In addition to the gold medals won, Sullivan also set world records in the 100m, 200m and 4 × 100 m relay at the 2004 Athens Paralympic Games.{{Cite web |url=https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/198105/Victorian_Institute_of_Sport_Annual_Review_2004-2005.pdf |title=Victorian Institute of Sport Annual Review |website=Clearinghouse for Sport |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160401205833/https://www.clearinghouseforsport.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/198105/Victorian_Institute_of_Sport_Annual_Review_2004-2005.pdf |archive-date=2016-04-01 |url-status=dead |access-date=18 August 2017}} At the conclusion of the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Tim was ranked 1st overall among athletes in his competitions.{{Cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org/asp/lib/TheASP.asp?pageid=8937&sportid=513&personid=688840 |title=Athlete Bio |website=www.paralympic.org |access-date=2017-08-18 |archive-date=18 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818091505/https://www.paralympic.org/asp/lib/TheASP.asp?pageid=8937&sportid=513&personid=688840 |url-status=live }}

Tim represented Australia again at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, where he won a gold medal in the men's 4 × 100 m T35–38 and also at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London.

He held the Australian record for the highest gold medal count until being surpassed by Matthew Cowdrey in 2012.{{cite news |last=Foreman |first=Glenn |title=Matt Cowdrey becomes Australia's greatest Paralympian with 11th gold medal |url=http://www.news.com.au/sport/more-sport/matt-cowdrey-becomes-australias-greatest-paralympian-with-11th-gold-medal/story-fndukor0-1226466064367 |access-date=5 September 2012 |newspaper=News Limited Network |date=6 September 2012 |archive-date=6 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120906054647/http://www.news.com.au/sport/more-sport/matt-cowdrey-becomes-australias-greatest-paralympian-with-11th-gold-medal/story-fndukor0-1226466064367 |url-status=live }}

Tim did not medal at the 2012 Games.{{cite web |url=http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/athlete/sullivan-tim-5516135/events |title=Tim Sullivan – Events and results |publisher=london2012.com |access-date=16 September 2012 |archive-date=15 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915154918/http://www.london2012.com/paralympics/athlete/sullivan-tim-5516135/events/ |url-status=live }}

Recognition

In 2000, Sullivan was named Male Athlete of the Year by the Australian Paralympic Committee. In the same year, Sullivan also received the Victorian Institute of Sport's Award of Excellence.

In October 2004, he was named "Paralympian of the Year" by the Australian Paralympic Committee. In 2004, Sullivan was also awarded the Victorian Institute of Sport's Athlete With a Disability award.