Paralympian Prue Watt announced as Cessnock Australia Day Ambassador

Published on 14 January 2022

Cessnock City's 2022 Australia Day Ambassador, Prue Watt OAM at the London 2021 Paralympics

Cessnock City Council Mayor Jay Suvaal is delighted to announce the 2022 Australia Day Ambassador is gold medal winning Paralympian Prue Watt OAM. Watt will participate in the Cessnock Australia Day program and the city offers her a very warm welcome. 

The swimmer competed in the 2012 London Paralympics where she took home the gold in the 100m breaststroke. She also won bronze in 50m freestyle. Watt has also competed in the Athens and Beijing Paralympics where she won several bronze and silver medals. 

In 2014, Watt was awarded a Medal of the Order with Australia Day Honours for her services to sport.

Watt was selected on to the Australian swim team at age 15, and has since toured England, Germany, Argentina, Canada and the United States, representing her country and winning numerous medals in her S13 classification.

Watt is a visually impaired (legally blind) athlete who has excelled in the sports of swimming as well as alpine skiing. She was born 16 weeks premature, resulting in severe damage to the retinas in both of her eyes. This has not stopped her from striving to achieve her goals.

Through an interest in surf lifesaving, Watt became a keen swimmer at an early age, displaying talent in all four strokes that saw her competing at state and national levels by age 14.