When, Not If - Para-Athlete

It all started with a bicep tear in the gym... In the days after his initial surgery to repair the injury, Gabe Lieschke was overcome by necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating virus that suddenly pushed him to the brink of death.

He was put in a 10 day coma and had his right arm amputated in a desperate attempt to stop the disease spreading. Gabe survived, but the physique he'd built through a decade of bodybuilding was torn apart and with it, his identity...

Each morning Gabe would wake to see a living nightmare staring back at him in the mirror, but he was determined not to let it break him. Then, while already carrying more weight than most could bear, the unthinkable happened, Gabe's best mate suddenly passed away.

The shocking loss shook Gabe to the core and lit a fire within him to honour his friend's memory by becoming his best self and set the goal to be the best in the world at para-cycling. For Gabe it's a matter of when, not if.