Frank Ponta
Australian paralympic competitor
フランク・ポンタ
- Born
- 8 November 1935, Western Australia
- Died
- 1 June 2011, Perth
- Citizenship
- Australia
- Sport
- athletics
- Occupation
- fencer, athletics competitor
Francis Ettore Ponta (8 November 1935 – 1 June 2011) was an Australian Paralympic competitor and coach. He competed in several sports including basketball, pentathlon, swimming and fencing. A paraplegic, he lost the use of both his legs after a tumour was removed from his spinal column when he was a teenager. Ponta was a member of Australia's first national wheelchair basketball team, and is credited with expanding the sport of wheelchair basketball in Western Australia. At the end of his competitive career, he became a coach, working with athletes such as Louise Sauvage, Priya Cooper, Madison de Rozario, Bruce Wallrodt and Bryan Stitfall. He died on 1 June 2011 at the age of 75 after a long illness.
Competitions
| Competition | Year | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 Summer Paralympics | 1960 | |
| 1964 Summer Paralympics | 1964 | |
| 1968 Summer Paralympics | 1968 | |
| 1972 Summer Paralympics | 1972 | |
| 1976 Summer Paralympics | 1976 |
Awards and honours
- Australian Sports Medal 2000
- Western Australian of the Year Awards 2007
- Australian Paralympic Hall of Fame 2011
- Paralympic Hall of Fame 2012
External links
Facts from Wikidata Q5489039 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.
Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.