Joseph "Joe" Ray Fazio (11 September 1942 – August 2011) was an Australian national champion

rower Rowing, often called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars (called blades in the United Kingdom) are attached to the boat using rowlocks, while paddles are ...

who won a silver medal at the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...

Early life and schooling

He was born in

Taree, New South Wales Taree () is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. It and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then it has grown to a population of 26,381, and commands a significant agricultural district. Situ ...

and was sent to school in

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in 1955 at St. Joseph's College, Hunters Hill following the death of his father when Joe was nine years of age. In his senior year in 1960 he stroked the College's first VIII, was elected Captain of Boats, played in the Championship winning 1st XV and was selected in the combined GPS 2nd XV.''SJC News'', article by James Gray p13 At the College's Cadet Camp in 1959 he was involved in a tragic accident when his close friend Michael Farrell was critically injured by an unexploded shell which he and Fazio found on the

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rifle range. The explosion left pieces of shrapnel in Fazio's body and some shrapnel was too close to the spine to be removed.

Career

Following school Fazio started a career with the Royal Australian Navy Experimental Laboratories as a research assistant. He played club rugby with Sydney's

Eastern Suburbs RUFC Eastern Suburbs Rugby Union Football Club may refer to: * Eastern Suburbs District RUFC (NSW), est. 1900, based in Sydney, Australia * Eastern Suburbs RUFC (Canberra), est. 1938, based in Canberra, Australia * Easts Tigers Rugby Union, est. 1947, b ...

and was persuaded by team mate Jake Howard to take up rowing at the senior level with the

Sydney Rowing Club Sydney Rowing Club is the oldest rowing club in New South Wales, Australia formed in 1870. It has occupied its current site on Port Jackson's Parramatta River at Abbotsford, New South Wales, Abbotsford Point since 1874. The club has a focus on it ...

. He had success at the Sydney club, stroking a junior eight to a New South Wales state championship in 1964–65, a coxless four to a state championship victory in 1966 and stroking the club's senior eight from 1966. Back pain caused by the shrapnel still lodged close to his spine forced Fazio to undergo a spinal fusion operation in 1967 but within six months he was again rowing at the highest level. He was selected in the New South Wales state eight which won the King's Cup at the Interstate Regatta within the

Australian Rowing Championships The Australian Rowing Championships is an annual rowing event that determines Australia's national rowing champions and facilitates selection of Australian representative crews for World Championships and the Olympic Games. It is Australia's pre ...

in 1968 and from there he was selected in six seat of the Australian boat which won the silver medal in the eights event at the

1968 Mexico Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...

. He made another state representative appearance for New South Wales in the King's Cup crew at the 1969 Interstate Championships. Later in life he returned to St Joseph's as a voluntary coach and was involved with fours and the school's 1st eight between 1993 and 1997. In business he worked in senior management positions for Qantas and the Hilton Hotel Group. He died in 2011 following the effects of Alzheimer's disease.

Footnotes

Fazio Olympic profile

References

* St. Joseph's College News 2012 Volume 52#1 article by James Gray, College Archivist *''The Tradition:100 years of Rugby at St Joseph's College'', James Gray {{DEFAULTSORT:Fazio, Joe 1942 births 2011 deaths Australian male rowers Olympic rowers for Australia Rowers at the 1968 Summer Olympics Olympic silver medalists for Australia Olympic medalists in rowing People educated at St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill Medalists at the 1968 Summer Olympics Sportspeople from Taree Sportsmen from New South Wales Australian rugby union players Eastern Suburbs RUFC players 20th-century Australian sportsmen