Katie Kelly

Katie Kelly is one of Australia’s most distinguished Para-triathletes.

Just weeks after she was declared legally blind, Katie made her international debut in Para-triathlon at the 2015 International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Para-triathlon Event on the Sunshine Coast, QLD. Together with her sighted guide, Olympic silver medallist Michellie Jones, Katie won a gold medal in the women’s PT5. The duo finished more than eight minutes ahead of the silver medallists, and raced so quickly that they were catapulted into the top five in the world.

Katie made her Paralympic debut the following year at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, where Para-triathlon also made its debut, and won Australia’s first Paralympic medal in the sport. She and Michellie crossed the line in 1:12:18, more than a minute ahead of Great Britain’s Alison Patrick and Hazel Smith, to win gold. It came as no surprise, then, when Katie was named as a finalist in the Female Paralympian of the Year category at the 2016 Australian Paralympic Awards.

Katie continued her winning streak in 2017, culminating in first place in the women’s PTVI at the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Katie competed in her second Games at Tokyo 2020, with her guide Briarna Silk. She knew when she crossed the line in a gallant sixth place at the Paralympics in Tokyo her remarkable career as an elite athlete had come to an end.

“Once I crossed that finish line in Tokyo… I immediately thought: it’s over. That was it. There were some tears and I had given all I had. 6th place was where I would finish,” said Kelly, who has spent the last two months planning the next chapter in her life before officially announcing her retirement.

“It was such a huge relief and then knowing that I was ready to move forward now to new things was a really happy place to be.”