From Combat in Afghanistan to Rio Paralympic Hero: The Curtis McGrath Story

For Curtis McGrath, life changed forever on August 23, 2012.

That day, in Khas Uruzgan, Afghanistan, the New Zealand-born Australian Army combat engineer stood on a land mine.

The explosion tore away his left leg below the knee, and his right leg at it. He had shattered bones in his wrist, a gaping wound on the back of a thigh and perforated ear drums.

As McGrath was being carried to the helicopter to be evacuated to US Army hospital in Germany, he told his mates: "you guys will see me in the Paralympics."

Four years later, today, they did - watching him make Australian Paralympic history.

McGrath won gold in the men's KL2 200m para-canoe at the Rio Paralympics; the first time an Australian had won a medal in the sport.

The 28-year-old recorded a Paralympic-best time of 42.190 seconds, beating long-time rival Austrian Markus Swoboda by less than a second.

A brief ABC documentary clip on Curtis McGrath. Source: Youtube.

"It's a bit of sense of relief," McGrath told Channel 7 after the race.

"I was very nervous, I think everyone was. I guess there's times when it's quiet you have a bit of reflection time and think what could have happened, and just be thankful my life was saved by the guys on the hill."

McGrath was born in Queenstown and grew up a cricket and rugby-loving Kiwi, before moving to Queensland as a teen with his family. He served for six years in the Australian Army before he was wounded in Afghanistan.

After standing on the land mine and as he faded with shock, McGrath used his combat medical training to tell his colleagues what to do with his wounds.

McGrath is one of Australia's most well-known Paralympians, and had has courage singled out by prime minister Malcolm Turnbull earlier this year.

"His story is a remarkable feat of triumph over adversity, triumph out of tragedy," Turnbull said.

The former Kiwi said he is keen on another crack at the Paralympics – in Tokyo in 2020 – but has hinted at changing the his sport.

McGrath taking gold in the men's KL2 200m para-canoe at the Rio Paralympics. Source: Youtube.

Both Anzac nations have done incredibly well in Rio. Australia sits fifth on the Paralympics medal table with 14 gold, 24 silver and 22 bronze.

New Zealand, meanwhile, sits ninth with nine gold, five silver and four bronze.