Kurt Fearnley is a man who knows all about overcoming adversity and being disciplined - qualities that his "athlete family" will now need to draw on with the news the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games have been postponed.
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The postponement of the Games until 2021 comes in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Carcoar native Fearnley called time on his stellar international wheelchair racing career following the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, his resume including three Paralympic Gold medals.
But Fearnley remains an inspiration for Para-athletes and those in the sporting community in general.
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Not only his racing record - he won more than 30 marathons across the globe - but his efforts in crawling the 96 kilometre Kokoda Track in 2009 and being part of the 2012 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race winning crew aboard Investec Loyal act as examples of what a determined individual can achieve.
Fearnley is now urging Australia's Olympic and Paralympic talents to draw on their own determination.
"Lots of love to my athlete family. This will hurt, but this delay allows everyone to focus on the health and well-being of each member of our community," he said on Twitter after the news of the Games being postponed broke.
"Performance can follow. Be disciplined, and get to the other side of this thing together."