Gary Hooper interviewed by Rob Willis in the Australian Centre for Paralympic Studies oral history project [sound recording]

Gary Hooper talks about his family background; his early interest in sport; his schooling; contracting polio, hospitalisation, treatments, massage and hydrotherapy; reactions of other people to his disability; his wheelchair; rehabilitation; becoming a book repairer; Kevin Betts; training at Hornsby Hospital; how he became involved during the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne; Dr Bedbrook and Dr Guttman; the treatment and rehab of patients with polio; being involved in the Stoke Mandeville Games in Britain, events participated in; his fencing equipment; community support; meeting his wife Jan; being coached for swimming; costs and fundraising; sports in which he participated in Rome (1960); his competitiveness; his memories of the Rome Games (1960); Frank Ponta; depression; David Mackalin; media; playing tennis; Commonwealth Games in Perth (1962); his working life; judging for the 2000 Olympics in fencing; recognition of the Paralympic Games; diminishing numbers of original Paralympians; their recognition and treatment at the Sydney Paralympic Games.

Hooper discusses public speaking; accessibility for disabled people; his participation in the Israel Games (1968); Arab Israeli War; Tel Aviv; experiences during the Tokyo Games; changes in wheelchair construction; being offered a job as a trainer in swimming in Jamaica; Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh (1970); his children's sports; wheelchair basketball; disability levels; implementation of rules for professional competition; being part of the basketball team; Post Polio Syndrome; Lions Club; community recognition of Paralympians; the Year of the Disabled; being involved with community organisations; Vic Renalson; John Martin; David Minter; Eric Russell; Libby Kosmala; Daphne Ceeney (Daphne Hilton); lack of official documentation on the original Paralympics and team; the Paralympic movement today; Terry Mason; training children and young people and passing on skills; how he would like to be remembered.