Sarah Walsh

Those closest to Sarah Walsh have always known she was a Paralympic star in the making.

Sarah, who was born with fibular hemimelia, was 18 months old when her parents gave doctors the go-ahead to amputate her foot. That decision changed the course of her life. Were it not for that decision, Sarah would not have represented Australia in Para-athletics. She would not have become a Paralympian. She would not have been given all the incredible opportunities that come with being an athlete on the world stage.

Sarah was nine when she first began to take sport seriously, and after she was gifted her first running blade, she promised herself she would become the best athlete she could be. As it happened, Sarah’s best was reaching the pinnacle event for her sport – the Paralympic Games.

At the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Sarah set an Oceanian record of 4.82m to finish sixth in the women’s long jump T44, and moved up into fourth place the following year at the 2017 World Para-athletics Championships.

The next opportunity to fulfil her podium potential came last November at the 2019 World Championships in Dubai, UAE. Encouraged by her coach, Matt Beckenham, to strike fear into her opponents, Sarah lay down a mammoth 5.20m leap. 5.20m and onto the third step of the podium.

At Tokyo 2020, her second Paralympics at just 23-year-old, Sarah leapt 5.11m in the women’s long jump T64 final to finish in seventh position.