She Defied All the Odds

When doctors told the McCoombes that spina bifida would severely limit their daughter's life, they refused to listen. So did the little girl

- Sabrina Rogers-Anderson

As Hallee McCoombes approaches the finish line of the 800-metre run for kids with a disability, the crowd is cheering wildly and chanting her name. The 10-yearold para-athlete had spent months preparing for the 2022 School Sport Australia Track & Field Championships in Brisbane. Now she has the hyper-focussed expression that has become her trademark; anyone who has seen her compete knows that nothing will stop her now.

With only 10 metres to go, Hallee tunes out all the noise and pushes forward with every ounce of her strength. She doesn’t have any feeling in her waist or below her knees, but pain sears her thighs. When Hallee crosses the finish line and falls into an exhausted heap, her twin, Jada, scoops her up in her arms. “You came in third!” she whispers to Hallee.

Hallee McCoombes has tallied numerous Australian track-and-field records in events for athletes with her type of impairments—100 metres, 200 metres, 400 metres, 800 metres, 1,500 metres, long jump, discus and javelin— and has set her sights on the Paralympics. It’s an amazing achievement for someone who wasn’t even expected to walk. Hallee was born with spina bifida, a neural-tube defect that affects how the spine and spinal cord form in the womb.

Her mother, Christine McCoombes, 38, shudders when she recalls learning about Hallee’s diagnosis. “The doctors also told us they didn’t know what kind of brain function she would have because she had hydrocephalus,” she recalls. “Fluid in the brain is common with spina bifida. We really didn’t know how much she’d be able to function physically and mentally.”

It’s no wonder that, regardless of how many times Hallee’s parents watch their determined daughter compete, their hearts burst with pride. “I cry every time, especially when people start cheering for her,” admits her dad, Gavin, 51.