He represented the nation on the battlefield, and now war veteran Curtis McGrath will do it again chasing gold in Australia's first Paralympic canoe team.
The sport will debut at the Rio games in September, with McGrath - the reigning Para-Canoe world champion - to headline Australia's six-strong team.
"I've done it once before on the battlefield in an army uniform and it's a great honour to now be able to represent Australia again wearing green and gold," McGrath said.
"It is great to be part of a sport that can explode and evolve the future of the Paralympics."
McGrath is a double-leg amputee who lost his legs while serving as an Australian Army combat engineer in Afghanistan.
He's a favourite for gold in the KL2 class.
McGrath has three world championship titles and a silver to his credit, and believes he has what it takes to win gold once again.
"I'm working each day, knowing everything I am doing, those moments go towards me being on the podium again," he said.
McGrath will be joined by 2015 world champion Amanda Reynolds, while rising stars Susan Seipel, Colin Sieders, Dylan Littlehales and Jocelyn Nuemuller will round out the group.
Reynolds, also making her Paralympic debut, remains confident despite losing the world title to take silver at this year's world championships.
"It's so surreal, I'm beginning to go into race mode now, becoming focussed on the water ahead so I don't get overwhelmed when we go to compete in Rio," she said.
"I think everyone's goal now is to make the centre spot on the dais."
Australia is ranked as one of world's top nations in the sport, and has won 16 world championship medals since Para-Canoe was first introduced to that competition in 2010.
