LUKE Bailey has had a busy year racking up first place ribbons and trophies.
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The 18 year old wheelchair athlete dreams of representing Australia at the Rio 2016 Summer Paralympics and is working hard to reach his goal.
The year started with Luke coming first in the Junior division of the GIO Summer Down Under Series which incorporates the Oz Day 10km race.
It's a gruelling series, and the highest profile wheelchair sporting event in Australia which attracts the finest wheelchair athletes across the world.
This is the third year running that Luke has competed in the Summer Down Under series. The first two years, Luke placed second in the junior division.
What makes this year's win even more spectacular is that he crashed and broke his wrist with 50 metres to go. He got up, kept going and still won the race.
"We didn't realise it was broken until two days later!" said Luke's mum Kim.
The broken wrist put Luke out of action for six weeks, meaning a very important six weeks of lost training.
However that did not stop Luke from placing first in his next outing - the open Run New South Wales Sydney:10 in May.
Luke finished his trifecta with a bang - beating Paralympian and mentor Kurt Fernley in the Humpty Dumpty Balmoral Burn, a brutal 420m uphill race.
But not only did Luke win, he now holds the record for the Burn at 5.11 minutes. And the record he broke was Kurt Fernley's.
Luke's next stop is the Run Newcastle meet on September 13, and then down to Sydney for a 9km race across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Luke is hopeful to make it to Japan in November to race in a half marathon, an international open event that he competed in last year and placed 8th in a field of 109 entrants.
However that depends on funds, and Luke says he is trying to find sponsors to help him reach his goal.
In the meantime, Luke is training hard and trying to reach speeds which will see him selected for the 2016 Paralympic team. His Canberra coach is urging him to concentrate on his 100m speeds, as that is his where his best chances lay.
If you are interested in helping to sponsor Luke in his athletic endeavours, contact the Wingham Chronicle on 6553 4844 or call in to our office on Isabella St, Wingham.