Eliza Ault-Connell

Eliza Ault-Connell is on track to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, 16 years after she last represented Australia as a member of a Paralympic Team.

She put her Para-athletics career on hold in 2008 to start a family with Australian Paralympic gold medallist Kieran Ault-Connell, and 10 years and three children later, she was ready to resurrect it.

It did not take long for Eliza’s muscle memory to kick into gear, and within months she had achieved selection to the Australian team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, QLD.

In her first appearance at a Commonwealth Games since 2006, Eliza contested two events – the women’s 1500m T54 and women’s marathon T54 – and won a silver medal in the marathon. Having crossed the line just 13 seconds behind the gold medallist, Australian It girl Madison de Rozario, it was clear that Eliza was back and she was here to stay.

Since making her international debut in 2002, Eliza has won two World Championships medals and three Commonwealth Games medals. She also placed second at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, where an 800m wheelchair race featured as a demonstration event within the athletics program. But with just over 12 months to go until Tokyo 2020, Eliza is ready to finally stake her claim to the Paralympic podium.

Photo with thanks to Kevin Salmon