Watts chases Paralympic dream

The couple’s grandson Nick, who lives in Sydney, is one of just 14 Australian athletes set to compete in the Winter Paralympics.

It will be Nick’s second Winter Olympics, having competed at Torino in Italy four years ago as a 19-year-old.

A cancer survivor, Nick, who is the son of Paddy and Chris, lost his leg below the knee to cancer when he was just eight years of age.

Just getting to the games has been a battle for the now 23-year-old biomedical engineer.

All was on track for a big showing by Watts in Vancouver (the alpine events will actually be staged at Whistler), but disaster struck during a training camp with the Australian team in New Zealand.

He fell during a downhill training run and broke his tibular and fibular.

He was taken to Christchurch hospital and had metal rods inserted into his broken bones.

What followed was months of intensive physiotherapy with team medicos as he tried to keep his Olympic dream alive.

Not much of a birthday present!

The training mishap happened on Nick’s birthday.

The proud grandparents can’t wait for the competition to start.

“He is so excited to be competing at the games again,” Mr Watts said.

“It looked doubtful for a fair while there after he broke his leg, but his fighting spirit again shone through – we never doubted he would make it.

“As soon as he was allowed to start rehabilitation he was into it.

“I vividly remember him calling up so happy the day he was able to hop on his leg!

“The amount of work he did in rehabilitation was amazing – he was virtually off his leg for four months and then slowly built it back up and now he’s all set for the games – it’s an amazing comeback and we are just so proud of him.

“After all the work he has done, he’s pretty pleased with himself just to get to the games.

“But knowing Nick he will want to turn in his best in Vancouver.”

Mrs Watts admitted to being a little concerned.

“Having watched the Winter Olympics on television and seen the courses, I’m a bit worried for him,” she said.

“I just hope he makes it down the mountain in one piece.

“I know he will give it his best and he is a winner already in my eyes, just getting there after what he has gone through over the past couple of months.

“He’s all set to go and anything could happen once he’s there.”

After months off the skis he slowly built up his strength, taking himself off to Canada for extra work while the Australian team was competing in Europe.

Watts will compete in a host of events in Whistler including the blue ribbon events the Super G (March 14), giant slalom (March 18) and slalom (March 20).

And even though he has been out of the sport with injury his world rankings are still up there – he is 42 in the world in slalom, 43 in giant slalom, 34 in super G, 24 in the super combined and 31 in the downhill.

“We are just so excited and can’t wait for the competition to start,” Mr Watts said.

The opening ceremony of the Vancouver Paralympics is March 12, with the games continuing until March 21.

Highlight packages will appear nightly on the ABC.

Nick’s really is an amazing story – when he was eight years old, he was diagnosed with bone cancer which resulted in him losing the lower part of his left leg.

In 2000, at just 14 he was discovered at a ski camp held by Camp Quality – his ski instructor introduced him to the organiser of the NSW Sports Council for the Disabled.

By 2002 he was competing and by 2003 he was representing Australia in France.

At his first Winter Paralympics in Torino, he competed in every event and is hoping to finish in the top 20 for two of his events in Vancouver.

He describes crossing the finish line in the downhill in Torino as one of his greatest achievements and sees merely competing for Australia as a great honour and privilege.

• And the South Coast Register will have up to date reports on Nick’s progress at the games. CHRIS DOBIE will be in Vancouver and in particular Whistler covering the action.