London 2017: Cameron Crombie 3 months on

“Hearing the anthem and looking at the flag and realising you’ve done it – that was really satisfying to know that whatever work you’d put in, the hours of sleep you missed, and every last training session you did - it all came together and made it all worth it.”

Three months ago, Cameron Crombie won the very first gold medal of London 2017 – he also set the first world record of the Championships, in his first competition wearing the green and gold of Australia.

“For me it’s still a bit surreal,” admits the 31-year-old, who won shot put F38 gold with a world record throw of 15.95m on the opening day of competition in July.

“Hearing the anthem and looking at the flag and realising you’ve done it – that was really satisfying to know that whatever work you’d put in, the hours of sleep you missed, and every last training session you did - it all came together and made it all worth it.”

Crombie added over one metre on to his personal best in London, and he credits the enthusiastic crowds as key to his ability to perform when it mattered most.

“It was my first time representing Australia, so I didn’t quite have anything to compare it against; I had no idea how it was going to be,” acknowledges Crombie. “No one prepares you for everything and the biggest thing was the involvement from the crowd and the sheer number of people that were out there.

“I remember going back to the stadium in the days after to watch other events and fans coming up and saying ‘I saw you on Friday, I loved it.’”

Crombie only took up throwing two years ago and while his debut year is nothing short of spectacular, it’s not necessarily surprising either; strong and athletic throughout his youth, Crombie stands 6’6” tall. He played competitive basketball for many years but has all the physical attributes of a successful thrower. So why did it take him until his late twenties to find Para athletics?

“I didn’t find out I had cerebral palsy until later in life, until my auntie told me at a Christmas party,” explains Crombie, who was 22-years-old at the time. “It just slipped out in conversation. We had a bit of a laugh about it. My mother and father had hid it quite well.

“My mother is a nurse and put me through a lot of physios and ops and just let me grow up otherwise normal. By that stage it was what it was; it wasn’t a shock but it made a lot of sense.

“We would go on basketball tournaments where the first few days would be really good then slowly towards the end, after playing a few games a day, simple things would go a bit wayward - the fine motor skills; coordination. It was a funny twist but it just opened up a door to Para athletics and Para sport in general.”

Shot put switch

With one eye on the Rio 2016 Games, Crombie’s focus was initially the javelin, but after just missing out on qualification last summer, he turned his attention to the shot put and London 2017.

That meant facing many of his biggest rivals for the first time ever just when it mattered most - with world titles at stake.

But the Canberra-based Para athlete, who balances work in real estate and as a volunteer firefighter with twice-daily training sessions, wasn’t fazed.

Not only had his coach, the six-time Paralympian and multiple gold medallist Hamish McDonald, been an integral part of his preparations, Crombie was joined out in the field by his countryman Martin Jackson.

“He is a really good mate of mine and even though we are competitors we still want the best for each other,” explains Crombie. “It was his first time representing Australia as well, so I think having two rookies enjoying the moment for what it was kind of took a bit of pressure off.”

Eight days later, on the penultimate day of competition, Crombie finished fifth in the javelin F38, throwing a personal best of 47.84m – the event was won by fellow Australian Jayden Sawyer with a world record 52.96m.

“The javelin was one hell of a way to finish the Championships – to step up in a field that was so tight,” says Crombie, who plans to concentrate on the javelin once again ahead of Tokyo 2020.

“Everyone turned up and threw the best they threw that season. To even be competitive and hold my head high amongst the world record breaker and Rio medallists – it was one hell of a field and it was good to see.”

Crombie will have another opportunity to shine in April next year – the shot put F38 is part of the Para athletics programme for the Commonwealth Games which take place on Australia’s Gold Coast. This time Crombie will have the support of home fans cheering him on – who knows how far he will be able to throw then.