When you mention Paralympic legend Russell Short to anyone who has come across him, they inevitably start to smile. That expression quickly turns to shock when you reveal that Will Short, son of the throwing giant, is about to make his Australian debut over 1500m.
The 17-year-old isn’t exactly Bruce Buffer when it comes to introducing his old man. Answering for what must be the umpteenth time, Will rattles off Russell’s Paralympic record with little enthusiasm but no shortage of pride:
“Eight-time, six gold, two silver, four bronze.”
So how is Will, a wiry and unassuming teenager, supposed to follow in the footsteps of one of Australia’s greatest Para-athletes ever?
He has started by getting as far away from throwing circles as possible.
“Dad tried to get me into throwing, but I wouldn’t say my physique is quite made for throwing. I started to run for fun in lockdown, just going further and further every day,” Short says.
“Eventually he told me it was a bit of a stupid approach and signed me up with a coach, Mickael Soussan – I wouldn’t be here without him.”
Competing as a visually impaired athlete with a form of macular degeneration, it is somewhat ironic that Will’s Paralympic vision has never been clearer, with both of his parents reaching the highest level as legally blind athletes – his mum Christine Fisher a Paralympic track cyclist at Sydney 2000.
“Mum and Dad have been great. I take it for granted but you don’t know what you don’t know, and I have always known this is a possibility because of them,” Short says.
“I look up to people like Jaryd [Clifford] and Chad [Perris], they have probably had a bigger impact on me than I first realised. They are role models and when I see them do things, I feel like I can do them as well.”
Selected in the 1500m T13 for the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships to be held in New Delhi this September, Will is poised to take the first steps of what he hopes is a marathon international career with aspirations of Brisbane 2032 and beyond.
“I’d like to go sub-four minutes in New Delhi; that’s a big goal of mine. Mostly I’m just excited to go faster and see where those times can take me,” Short says.
“I love running. I love the training and racing process, and I love pushing every day and meeting new friends.”
Attending the Australian Athletics training camp in Brisbane earlier this month, Will was right at home amongst the Australian team of 51 athletes for the World Para Athletics Championships – some of his teammates even crossing over with Russell as he made his last team in 2017.
“I came up to Brisbane trying to get away from him and then I see his picture on the wall, I just thought great, more of this guy! It’s weird going to track meets and everyone says that they knew my dad and has stories about him,” Short says.
“He’s definitely a bit of a character and has a pretty big ego! He always has to be right but most of the time he is, and he will let you know about that too.”
And while Russell’s record of eight Paralympic Games might be slightly ambitious, Will knows that even one opportunity could change his life forever:
“There’s so many people that come over for dinner who are Paralympic royalty. I’m very honoured to have that and as I get older, I’m realising more and more how much of an impact it has had on me.”
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 29/7/2025
