Background
Harris was born in Geelong, Victoria, and attended Western Heights College where he was a champion sportsman and school captain.
Harris was born in Geelong, Victoria, and attended Western Heights College where he was a champion sportsman and school captain.
In 1993, aged 18, he was involved in a traffic collision at Breamlea when the car in which Harris and several friends were travelling was struck by another vehicle. One of the car"s occupants was killed, and Harris was pulled from the car by a volunteer firefighter who heard the crash. He was airlifted to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, and was not expected to live.
The accident left him with a closed head injury to his brain.
Whilst undergoing physical therapy to enable him to walk again, Harris discovered that he could still swim very well. Harris was selected to represent Australia in swimming at the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney.
He competed in the 2002 in Manchester, coming 6th and 10th in the 50 m and 100 m freestyle Doctor of Medicine events respectively. He also participated in the 2006 in Melbourne.
Harris was due to undergo deep brain stimulation surgery in October 2009, which would have involved insertion of electrodes into his brain to calm his uncontrollable movements.
On 27 October 2009, days before the operation was scheduled, Harris committed suicide and was struck by a train on a level crossing at Lara, Victoria.