This Paralympian has made her life about giving back

Australian Paralympian Kathleen O’Kelly-Kennedy is a brilliant sportswoman, mentor, and philanthropist.

Born with one leg shorter than the other, which resulted in a right foot amputation when she was eighteen months old, Kathleen went on to compete in wheelchair basketball. The encouragement came from family friend and Wheelchair Basketball legend, Kevin Coombs and Paralympic athletic champions Don Elgin and Tim Matthews.

As a Paralympian, she was part of the Australian women’s wheelchair basketball team that won bronze in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics - but her time as a philanthropist and generous advocate started long before that.

In 2000, Kathleen led fundraising efforts to bring a group of young children with missing limbs to the Paralympic Games in Sydney - which is where she saw her future team, the Gliders, play for the first time.

"I was part of a group of kids with missing bits, we were called the limb kids, the unofficial cheer squad for the Sydney Paralympic Games," she told ABC Sport.

Outside of sport, Kathleen has proudly fostered three children, volunteers at Roelands Village, an ex-Aboriginal mission, as a mentor for their pre-employment program, and travels all over Australia for work as a mentor and public speaker.

Kathleen is so inspiring as she consistently uses her life to give back to others - we love to see it!

Charity check-in 

At Smiley Movement, we like to elevate the work of charities across the world. Here are three charities whose causes align with the themes in this article.

Scope. Scope is the disability equality charity in England and Wales, providing practical information and emotional support when it's most needed, campaigning to create a fairer society. Support them here.

Disability Rights UK. Disability Rights UK is the UK’s leading organisation led by, run by, and working for disabled people. Find out more.

Reach. Reach is a charity supporting children with upper limb differences and their families to live life without limitations. Learn more here.

This article aligns with the UN SDG Partnerships for the Goals.