Sarah Lazzaro believes everything happens for a reason and that you should never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game. With this determination she is striving for success in a career in table tennis.

At just 15 years of age, Sarah is already a successful athlete, having won eight gold medals at her first international competition, the 2007 Arafura Games in Darwin. She competed at her first Paralympic Games a year later and progressed through to the second round in the singles event. Sarah achieved her goal of finishing in the top eight and believes her entire Beijing experience, from playing in front of 6000 screaming table tennis fans to meeting people from all over the world in the village, was awesome.

Sarah was born with Blount’s disease, a severe bone disease which bows the legs and worsens over time. She admires Australian singer Delta Goodrem for her determination in overcoming cancer. Sarah enjoys listening to music, watching dvds, photography, art and spending time with her friends.

Outside sport, Sarah plans to finish her secondary education whilst developing her game and playing as many tournaments as she can in working towards her second Paralympics in London.