Libby Kosmala

Elizabeth "Libby" Dudley Kosmala (née Richards) (born 8 July 1942) is an Australian shooter with paraplegia. She represented Australia at twelve Paralympics from 1972 to 2016, and won thirteen medals, nine of them gold.

Early life and education

Kosmala was born on 8 July 1942 in Adelaide. Her father was a lawyer. She was born with club feet, which were straightened out with plasters and bandages. She was initially classified as having spina bifida, but at the age of 50, she discovered that her paraplegia was due to birth-related complications; she was delivered in a long operation using forceps by a cardiologist. He won a gold medal at the 1988 Seoul Paralympics in lawn bowls. They have two sons and two grandchildren.

Competitive career

Kosmala represented Australia at twelve Paralympics from 1972 to 2016, and won thirteen medals, nine of them gold.

Kosmala was introduced to wheelchair sport by a patient at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, a few months before starting work at the Adelaide Botanic Garden. She was introduced to rifle shooting in the early 1970s, and consistently hit the target on her first try at the sport. At the 1984 New York/Stoke Mandeville Games, she won four gold medals and broke four world records in the Women's Air Rifle 3 Positions 2–6, Women's Air Rifle Kneeling 2–6, Women's Air Rifle Prone 2–6, and Women's Air Rifle Standing 2–6 events. At the 2000 Sydney Games, she competed against her husband in the preliminary round of the Mixed Air Rifle Prone SH1- event, and came eighth just in front of him. She achieved her best ever result in the Women's Air Rifle Standing SH1- event at the 2008 Beijing Games, where she narrowly missed out on a medal. However, she came back to compete, after being selected in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games. At the 2016 Paralympics she was once again the oldest competitor, finishing her Paralympic career placing 18th in the Women's R2 – 10 m Air Rifle Standing – SH1 qualification and 37th in the Mixed R3 – 10 m Air Rifle Prone – SH1 qualification. She announced her retirement from all competitive shooting in August 2020. She was coached by Yvonne Hill throughout her shooting career, and also works with National Rifle Shooting Coach Miro Sepic. She received scholarships from the South Australian Institute of Sport every year of her career beginning in 1985.

Recognition In 1985, Kosmala received a Medal of the Order of Australia "for service to the sport of air rifle shooting".

She received an Australian Sports Medal in 2000 and a Centenary Medal in 2001.

In 2016, she received the Tanya Denver Award at The Advertiser/Channel 7 Sport Star of the Year awards.

In 2019, Kosmala was inducted into the South Australian Sport Hall of Fame.

In 2021, she was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. In 2022, she was inducted into the Paralympics Australia Hall of Fame.