Eric Cyril Russell, MBE[1] (born 7 January 1944)[2] is an Australian Paralympic athlete, coach, and administrator.

[3] He played professional rugby league in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, and while there, he sustained a spinal cord injury in a car crash.

[4] He was then flown to Brisbane, where he underwent rehabilitation for three months, and was inspired to take up sport by athletes training at the spinal injury unit.

[3][5] Russell's career began in 1972 when he participated in a shot put trial for the National Games that were to be competed in Sydney later that year.

A press conference was then held the next morning where Russell was awarded a medal for the excellence of his protest which he later returned to the lawn bowler from whom it was taken.

[2][13] After realising that he had achieved all of his initial goals, Russell resigned from his position as Chairman of Athletics in 1988.