I was bullied so badly because of my disability that I had to quit school. Because I found help, I am now a Paralympic medallist

After dropping out of high school due to bullying about her disability, Dayna Crees is now enjoying the satisfaction of winning a bronze medal in her Paralympic debut.

Crees was a relative unknown to the Australian track and field team prior to Sunday’s third-place finish at the Stade de France.

She revealed the secret to breaking her personal best three times in the F34 javelin final was simple: a trilogy of Vegemite on toast for breakfast, a bag of sweets and a full bladder secured the Melburnian her first medal.

“I think this is my new day off breakfast,” Crees said.

‘I had pasta salad for lunch and then at the event I brought Allan’s sweets from home and saved them for the entire trip to eat at the race.

“I think I had so much water that at the end I thought, ‘I really have to pee.’ I wanted to get it out quickly so I could go to the bathroom.”

Crees, 12 years old in the photo, was bullied so badly at school because of her disability that she had to drop out

Crees was the second-to-last athlete to throw and began her first Paralympic participation with a personal best of 16.84 meters.

But the 22-year-old threw 17.65 metres on her first throw and also achieved scores of 17.55 and 17.13 metres.

“I thought, ‘I think the screen is broken’ … that can’t be true,” she said.

‘Throwing over 57 feet on my first throw. Normally I start off badly and the sixth throw is my best, but I’m not complaining.’

Crees suffers from hereditary spastic paraplegia, a condition that causes muscle weakness.

The beaming Aussie shared her competition day diet and the unconventional methods that have led to her success

She said her podium finish was compensation for her childhood, when people “didn’t want to be friends with me” because of her disability.

“I had a hard time in school, I was bullied a lot,” Crees said.

‘I’ve struggled a lot with my mental health and I’m a huge advocate for the younger generation dealing with mental health issues.

‘I was on antidepressants for three years and had a psychiatrist.

‘If I hadn’t gone and sought help, I might not have ended up in this situation.

‘I really believe that I had to leave school to get where I am now, and that I no longer wanted to live here.

‘Coming this far with a bronze medal at my first Paralympic Games – everything happens for a reason.’

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