Helena Brunner
# Helena Brunner

Helena Martha Brunner, OAM, (born 1957 or 1958) 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. 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. 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.

