Running in the arm amputee class he won gold last Tuesday in the 200m sprint in world record time (21.74 seconds) and followed it up on Friday in the 400m with another gold, also in world record time (47.69 seconds).

On Monday afternoon he made it a hat trick, this time in the 100m sprint. He took his third gold in a personal best time of 11.05 seconds.

The 26-year-old athlete grew up on a farm at Booral, in the Great Lakes, attending the local primary school.

At the age of seven he lost the lower portion of his right arm after it was caught in a meat mincer on the family property.

But as Sally Thompson, who taught at Booral Primary School recalls, he wasn’t going to let this stand in his way.

“He was extraordinary, even from an early age. I went to visit him three days after the accident and he was cheerful and bright – he wasn’t going to let it get in his way.”

He continued to pursue his interest in all manner of sports including horse riding, soccer, cricket and of course athletics.

After completing primary school it was time to move on to high school at Bulahdelah Central School in 1994. Here he continued to impress with his positive outlook and natural sporting ability and was elected school captain in year 12.

He now lives and trains in Canberra and has been competing internationally since 1998.

Gold medals don’t come without their challenges but his first in Beijing was no walk in the park. When Francis lined up for the 200 metres on Tuesday he faced a dangerously slippery track.

Several athletes slipped in the rain in events preceding the 200m final, but Francis’ only worry was that the sleeve for his running arm would get wet.

But there was no need to worry. After qualifying fastest for the final he ran the perfect race to leave the rest of the field in his wake. To top it off, the world record he broke had stood for 16 years.