Tamara Leigh Nowitzki (born 22 May 1976) is a Paralympic swimming competitor from Australia and a silver medalist at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics..
Personal
She was born in Brisbane. At the age of 13 months she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Nowitzki attended Ferny Grove High School. She was diagnosed with Dopa-responsive dystonia when she was 25 years old.
Career
At the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, she finished fifth in the Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB7. Nowitzki went on to win a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Games in the Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB7 event. At the 2000 Paralympics she was coached by Brendan Keogh.
Recognition
In 2000, she was awarded the Australian Sports Medal and in 2013 she was recognised at the Dickson Citizen of the Year.
In 2012 Nowitzki released her autobiography 'No Ordinary Girl' to raise awareness of the rare condition Dopa-responsive Dystonia which is often misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy and to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness.
References
Further reading
Nowitzki, Tamara No ordinary girl, Salisbury, Qld. : Boolarong Press, 2012.