Janine Shepherd

Shepherd is an ambassador for Spinal Cure Australia, and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2001 for her service to the community, her inspiration and her work in raising awareness of spinal cord research. In 1998, Shepherd was also awarded the title of an Outstanding Young Persons of the World, one of ten young people recognised annually by the Junior Chamber International, and currently resides in Wyoming in the United States.

Shepherd was a torchbearer at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney. Shepherd took up dressage in an attempt to represent Australia at the 2004 Summer Paralympics.

Shepherd had been an athletics champion as a child, and settled on cross-country skiing. After achieving success on the World circuit, she was given the offer of training with the Canadian team in the leadup to the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. In 1986, Shepherd was cycling through the Blue Mountains in New South Wales as part of her training regime, when she was hit by a vehicle, suffering massive injuries. She suffered a broken neck and back, lost five litres of blood, had severe lacerations to her abdominal area. Her right leg was ripped open, her collarbone and five ribs were fractured, and she suffered serious internal injuries, but she survived. She was told that she would be reliant on a wheelchair for the rest of her life, and would never bear children.