Janet Shaw

Janet Lucy Shaw (7 October 1966 – 3 December 2012) was a visually-impaired Australian tandem cyclist and author. She became visually impaired due to congenital retinoblastoma (eye cancer) and lost her sight completely at the age of 33. She first represented Australia in cycling at the 2002 IPC World Cycling Championships. She broke several world records with her pilot, Kelly McCombie.; they won two bronze medals at the 2004 Athens Paralympics. In 2008, Shaw was re-diagnosed with cancer; she died of the disease in 2012. She wrote two memoirs and several books for children and young adults.

Personal Shaw was born on 7 October 1966 in Perth. She was born with retinoblastoma, a malignant eye cancer, and had one eye removed as a baby and had radiotherapy in the other. In 2010, she was told the chemotherapy treatment had failed and no other treatment was available.

Career Shaw worked as a social worker for ten years until 2000. After losing her sight, she published several books including autobiographies and young adult books. Her two autobiographies Beyond the Red Door (2004) and Bit of a Superhero (2012) discussed her life with cancer and blindness. She was also a motivational speaker. She commented that she "loved the feel of the speed as we were flying along and going round the corners on an angle, and sprinting for the finish line." She won a gold medal in the road race at the 2003 European Cycling Championships, and broke a world record in the 200 m fly time trial at the 2003 national championships. At the Australian Championships before the 2004 Athens Paralympics, Shaw and her tandem partner Kelly McCombie broke two world records, including the 3 km pursuit, smashing 3 seconds off the world record time. She was coached by Andrew Bludge and Darryl Benson.