Dow contracted poliomyelitis at 4 years of age while living with his family in Borneo.

[3] Selection for the 1964 Summer Paralympics was based on Dow's outstanding results achieved at the National Championships.

He competed in sprint, long-distance track, javelin, and weightlifting that was an Australian innovation, the program being developed in Perth.

[6] Following his outstanding results at the 1964 Paralympics, Dow then decided to retire and concentrate on his studies.

[8] Dow dropped out of competition for ten years, returned in 1979 and again in 1981 to compete in the Australian Paraplegic Championships.