Between one-liners like crowning himself the “fourth-place champion of the world” or “not the most braggadocious person”, there is a quiet bordering on silent drive about Sam McIntosh. In year 15 of his international career, the four-time Paralympian is only getting faster.
Effortlessly funny and universally respected, McIntosh keeps a low profile. Like most sprinters, the wheelchair racer will tell you that hundredths of a second over years of racing have decided his fate to date, but McIntosh not once refers to himself as unlucky.
“It’s always a bit gut wrenching looking up at the scoreboard and seeing the names come through one by one, and yours is in fourth. It happened at the Paralympics in Rio and Tokyo, and at a few World Championships as well,” McIntosh says.
“It’s never the most fun thing, but the part of the sport I love the most is the progression and seeing how much I can get out of myself. Whether that leads to the podium or not remains to be seen.”
Gearing up for his sixth World Para Athletics Championships appearance in New Delhi this September, McIntosh is buoyed by his recent form which includes becoming one of the few athletes in history to break 17-seconds in the 100m T52 – clocking 16.89 (+0.1) in March.
“I knew I was capable of doing it and that I had it in me, but it’s a battle that all sprinters face in 100m especially – getting Mother Nature on your side,” McIntosh says.
“I was so stoked to be under, and to be under by a fair bit. I was really proud and in a little bit of disbelief, but it was definitely a weight off my shoulders to know that I had finally done it after so many years.”
Growing up in Geelong and trying his hand at a range of sports including swimming and martial arts, above all else came BMX and motorbike riding before an accident at the age of 17 saw him shatter his C6 vertebrae – making him a quadriplegic for life.
So, in typical Sam-style, McIntosh took little time to find thrill-seeking elsewhere:
“There is kind of a limit that you can get your day wheelchair to, so to get a racing chair and go so much faster was the biggest draw for me. That probably came down to the teenage rebellious side of a BMX and skateboard kid,” McIntosh says.
A chance meeting with Kaye Colman, the mother of Paralympic champion Richard Colman, saw the resilient teenager find his first coach in Mandi Cole – and a sense of belonging in his newfound pursuit.
“They had a good training group which was a community of like-minded people of all different levels. We had people doing it for fun and then Richard Colman was like the ultimate as a gold medallist,” McIntosh says.
“Being brought into that community of people with disabilities doing sport and travelling around the world was really important for me having my injury only a year or so before that.”
Fast-forwarding to 2025 seems unjust for the number of challenges McIntosh has overcome, but through it all he arrives at a sixth World Para Athletics Championships in career-best form under the watchful eye of coach Fred Periac.
“The moment you stop learning is the moment you start failing; it’s about constant progress and looking at the areas I can improve in. The day after Paris last year, we started planning immediately. I was so motivated from not getting the result we were after,” McIntosh says.
“This is the fastest season I have ever had. I’m really looking forward to the World Championships, to check out a new country with a new team and try to produce my best performance on the day.”
By his side will be fellow wheelchair racer Rheed McCracken who has been his trusted roommate on Australian teams since they made their Paralympic debut in 2012.
“We have kind of grown up together and have a brotherly bond, I would be a little bit lost having to do a major competition without him,” McIntosh says.
“When you go to so many major competitions together for so long, you really get to learn about each other through the ups and downs of sport. It’s really nice to both be having great years, and hopefully we can have some success in India.”
The 2025 World Para Athletics Championships will be held in New Delhi, India from September 27 – October 5.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 7/8/2025
