Starting was the hardest part: Tim Hodge's Para sport journey

Every Para athlete has a different story.  

Through our partnership with Paralympics Australia, we're sharing a series of athlete stories that showcase the many different pathways into sport. Some discovered their sport as children, others found it later in life. What connects them is a love of sport and a willingness to keep showing up, even when the path isn't straightforward.  

In this article, we're spotlighting Tim Hodge and his journey. 

ATHLETE: Tim Hodge 

SPORT: Para Swimming 

PROUDEST MOMENT: Breaking the 200 IM world record for the first time in 2022 at the World Para Swimming Championships in Portugal. 

WORDS OF WISDOM: From Tim’s mum: Try your best. If you come first, if you come last, the results don’t matter – just try your best. 

Para-Swimming champion Tim Hodge thought he would never be good at anything after his foot was amputated at four and a half years old, but his mum convinced him to keep trying. Once he started swimming, he knew he’d found his sport. More than two decades later, that journey has taken him to three Paralympic Games and multiple Paralympic gold medals. 

Having just broken his own 200m Individual Medley World Record (his second time breaking that particular record), Tim says he wouldn’t trade anything for the life he has now. After years of international success, Paris 2024 brought his first individual Paralympic gold medal in the 200m Individual Medley SM9, along with a second gold as part of Australia's mixed 4x100m medley relay team. 

Crediting Para athletes like Matthew Cowdrey (also S9 classified) as inspiration, Tim made his first Australian team at 14, competing alongside big names in the sport. His drive to come back each year and do better has turned one team selection into many, establishing him as one of Australia's most successful Para swimmers. Paris 2024 marked his third Paralympic Games. 

Training in a Paralympic year involved a lot of race-specific work, focusing on things like nutrition, recovery, and psychology to be physically and mentally ready for the Games. As a senior athlete, Tim takes a job-like mentality to putting the work in and doing what he needs to do.  

His biggest challenge when he started swimming competitively was getting nationally and internationally classified as a Para-athlete. This was partly due to the limited number of classifiers in Australia; his first attempt was only valid for around 12 months in accordance with the rules of classification. 

For anyone looking to start their sporting journey, Tim acknowledges that there might seem like a lot of hoops to jump through - but the end is absolutely worth it. Finding something you love can take a while. But there is a sport for everyone out there, whether it’s swimming, wheelchair basketball, or anything under the sun. 

“Starting is the hardest part,” says Tim. “It gets easier from here, and it gets a hell of a lot more enjoyable from here as well.” 

This article is part of NDSP's partnership with Paralympics Australia, helping more Australians learn about Para sport and discover opportunities to get involved. 

If you'd like to read more athlete stories, learn about the history of the Paralympic movement and explore pathways into Para sport, download our free ebook Get Active, Stay Involved.

Together with Paralympics Australia, we want to help make Para sport more visible and easier to explore for people across Australia.