Bruce Thwaite

Bruce Oliver Thwaite, born on 2 December 1923 and died on 21 September 1991, was an Australian Paralympic competitor. During World War II he sustained a spinal injury when he landed on a tree after parachuting from a bomber plane over Germany, and he was treated at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital. He first represented Australia at the 1957 International Stoke Mandeville Games in archery, won gold medals in swimming and a silver medal in weightlifting at the 1962 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Perth, and competed at the 1964 Tokyo Paralympics in swimming and weightlifting. He then took up lawn bowls, winning singles gold and pairs silver at the 1974 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games in Dunedin and pairs gold with Eric Magennis at the 1976 Toronto Games.