Jeff Simmonds

Jeff Simmonds (born 27 April 1944) is a former swimmer and athlete who participated at the 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympics, winning a silver medal. Before being a Paralympian, he was a notable rugby league half back with North Sydney Leagues Club. His rugby league career ended after a series of concussions and a serious fall.

Personal Simmonds was born on 27 April 1944 in the Sydney suburb of Castlecrag. At the age of 21, in September 1965 he played in the premiership first grade preliminary final against Souths where he suffered concussion. He then went to Queensland for end of season games where he suffered further concussions. Finally, he fell from a hotel's fire escape in the Queensland town of Sarina. This fall, according to Simmonds, fractured his spine a few inches above the waist and he was then left a paraplegic.

Following the accident, Simmonds, a patient at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, received a visit from Kevin Betts, remedial gymnast at Mount Wilga Rehabilitation Centrewho encouraged Simmonds to get back into sport. On moving to Mount Wilga, Simmonds recalls his rehabilitation and sports training under Betts,"He never lets you get the idea he's satisfied with what you are doing. That is his way of making you train harder."

Before his accident he was a compositor/linotype printer. At the 1968 Tel Aviv Paralympics, he won a silver medal in the Men's 50 m Breaststroke class 3 complete event and narrowly missed out on a bronze medal in backstroke and wheelchair sprint. Well-known Australian radio announcer John Laws informed the public that "Jeff is one of the tough, no nonsense linesmen Superbrat will encounter at this year's Custom Credit Indoor Championship." According to Newcombe, most linesmen selected were able bodied before their injury, “They have great reflexes and good eyesight and they are involved in the game already so they should make good linesmen”.