Anna Currie is the most courageous woman..........courageous athlete continues to be a true inspiration to one and all.

Anna Currie is the most courageous woman I have ever seen. This 28-year-old was born without legs. Yet she made a resolution when she was eight years old that she wanted to swim like other normal people.

So her sister, Norma, was given the task of teaching her to swim. It was eighteen months before Anna could float unaided in the pool in the backyard of their home. Her mother, Phyllis, used to urge her from the side of the pool that she would one day be able to swim in the Olympics.

Never in their wildest dreams did they think or dare dream that Phyllis' prophecy would come true. Anna's successes came as early as eleven when she began winning almost every sprint event in which she entered, smashing record after record. With her strong arms propelling her, she often left behind even able-bodied swimmers.

She was only thirteen when she competed in her first international event in New York where she won a bronze medal. She was the youngest athlete to win a Paralympic medal. From there, she went on to win more than 100 gold medals. But her crowning victory came in the Paralympics in Barcelona in 1992. There, she captained the triumphant Australian swimming team. She won the gold in both the 100 m and 200 m freestyle, setting world records in both events, won the gold in the 4 x 50 m relay and bronze in the 50 m freestyle.

Anna says that her success is mostly due to her daily training grind. She was in the pool at dawn and trained at least three hours, six days a week for the past ten years. There was a lot of pain but she never once thought of giving up although she admits she often cried with frustration in the beginning.

In 1990, her remarkable successes were recognized when she was given a Young Achiever's Award. After her Barcelona success, she decided to quit competitive swimming. A few years later, she met Brenden Brunell and they tied the knot. She says that marriage has been the greatest of all her achievements. Anna is a tireless worker promoting the role of disabled athletes and often talks to community groups. This courageous athlete continues to be a true inspiration to one and all.

Summary: Anna was born without legs but she wanted to swim. She took eighteen months to learn how to float. At eleven, she began winning many competitions, breaking records. When she was thirteen, she won a bronze in her first Paralympics where she was the youngest competitor. Then, she continued to win more than 100 gold medals. Her greatest achievement was in the Paralympics in Barcelona. She captained the Australian swimming team, winning gold in the 100 m and 200 m freestyle, setting world records in both events, and two other team events. She was awarded a Young Achiever's Award for her success.