Aussie rowing duo united by extreme injuries, beautiful bond and history-making Paris gold
PARIS: Rowing duo Jed Altschwager and Nikki Ayers are now not only united by traumatic leg injuries and an unbreakable friendship, but a history-making moment in Australian sport.
In a touch over seven minutes at the Paralympic Games on Sunday, the unstoppable pair clinched Australia's first-ever gold medal in Paralympic rowing.
They triumphed in the PR3 mixed double sculls — an event held on the Paralympic stage for the first time — which features one male and one female per pair who have arms, trunk and leg function and row with two oars each.
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Altschwager and Ayers, the event's world record holders and reigning world champions, glided over the finish in a time of 7:26.74, ahead of silver medallists Great Britain (7:28.19) and bronze medallists Germany (7:28.31).
Speaking on the Nine broadcast on the banks of the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium after capturing gold, Altschwager's voice began to quiver.
"We have the same core values, the same core principles," said Altschwager, who hails from Adelaide.
"She's an incredible human being," he added, gazing down at his great mate, "and we've been able to connect and, you know, get it done."
Jed Altschwager and Nikki Ayers created history with a gold-winning row in Paris. Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images
In a moment reflective of their tremendous partnership, Ayers sensed her mate was unravelling with emotion, and jumped in to spare him.
"It's a privilege and an honour just to even be able to wear the green and gold," Ayers said.
"But to be out here on the Paralympic stage in front of our families, and friends in Australia back home, and bringing home the gold, is just a life-changing moment we'll never forget.
"It's written in the history books so no one's going to take that away from us, and I couldn't be happier and more proud to do it with Jed."
In 2015, when Altschwager was 28, what had begun as a normal day on the tools in civil construction turned drastic.
His left foot was crushed by an excavator.
Hours later, doctors told him his best option was to have his leg amputated below the knee, and proceeded to do just that.
Ayers, who hails from Dalmeny on the south coast of NSW, suffered life-changing injuries during a rugby union match in 2016.
Aiming to crack into the Wallaroos, the Australian women's rugby team, a tackle went awfully wrong when the then-25-year-old suffered an extreme knee dislocation.
She severed an artery and a nerve in her right leg, developed compartment syndrome and tore three ligaments.
Sixteen surgeries followed.
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Exhausted but elated, Nikki Ayers and Jed Altschwager cross the finish line and win gold. Naomi Baker/Getty Images
Toiling away desperately as the threat of amputation loomed, doctors saved her leg and repaired the damage as much as possible.
Ayers had beautiful words to say about her friendship with Altschwager after their golden row.
"It was about the friendship off the water and that was the key to success," she said.
"I moved to Adelaide [from Canberra] to be with Jed and we made the commitment from the beginning that we want to be in this to get gold, and so every day we were striving to be the best athletes we could be and do that 1 per cent more every single day, and it's paid off."
Altschwager and Ayers had an arm around each other as they stood on the top step of the dais and savoured the moment.
"We had fun every single day, we achieved our goals, and now it's time go and celebrate with our families," Ayers said.
"We've made Australia proud."
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