Andrew Dawes

Andrew John Dawes is an Australian seven time Paralympic wheelchair coach. He has coached Australian athletes to 19 gold medals at Paralympic Games. Including Louise Sauvage, Kurt Fearnley and Greg Smith. He currently is the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) Wheelchair Track and Road head coach.

Personal Dawes was born on 30 September 1969 in Orange, New South Wales. He is married to Paralympic athlete Christie Dawes who he also coaches. They have a son who was born in 2011.

Coaching career

Dawes began his career as a physical education teacher. He went on to become a coach for the Australian wheelchair track and road team at the 1996 Paralympics. He has gone on to coach several successful athletes including Louise Sauvage, Greg Smith and Fabian Blattman. In the 2004 Summer Paralympics Dawes coached Kurt Fearnley to success where he won gold. Additionally, his wife Christie won silver in the 4 × 100 m relay team at the 2008 Summer Paralympics participated in the 2012 Summer Paralympics. Where Christie won bronze, Fearnley won silver and bronze and Little won bronze. Currently, Dawes is the head coach of the NSWIS Wheelchair Track & Road Program.

Recognition In 2014 Dawes was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia for service to athletics as a wheelchair track and road coach.