Louise Sauvage
Medal record
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Alix Louise Sauvage,
Sauvage is often regarded as the most renowned disabled sportswoman in Australia.[3][4] She won nine gold and four silver medals at four Paralympic Games and eleven gold and two silver medals at three IPC Athletics World Championships. She has won four Boston Marathons, and held world records in the 1500 m, 5000 m and 4x100 m and 4x400 m relays. She was Australian Female Athlete of the Year in 1999, and International Female Wheelchair Athlete of the Year in 1999 and 2000. In 2002, her autobiography Louise Sauvage: My Story was published.
Early life
When I first started off I was in the human interest pages of the paper – the fact that I did a sport and the article was about my sport didn't matter – I had a disability and it was warm and fuzzy. It wasn't until I made it to where everyone else was, in the sports pages, where any elite athlete deserves to be, that I thought, 'OK they're taking me seriously now, this is good'.
Louise Sauvage[5]
Sauvage was born in 1973 in
Sauvage grew up in
Competitive athletic career
If I had to pick my greatest moment, it would be winning the demonstration event at the 2000 Games and coming back later that evening and having my medal presented to me by Juan Antonio Samaranch, who was head of the IOC. I was on the dais in the No.1 position, and the flag was being raised and the anthem was being played because you're No.1. You have got 110,000 people singing the anthem with you, it's just unbelievable. There was no time to be emotional, I just couldn't stop smiling, it was just awesome.
Louise Sauvage[5]
From the ages of 10 to 13, Sauvage represented Western Australia in the national swim championships. She was forced to retire from swimming when she turned 14, because of surgery.[10]
When Sauvage first started competing in wheelchair racing, the chairs all had four wheels and were similar to the chairs that they used off the track. The chairs did not have any form of steering. The front wheels were smaller than the back wheels, and when at high speed, they were prone to wobbling. By 1997, racing wheelchairs had basically finished undergoing massive changes to improve them.[11]
In 1990, Sauvage competed in her first international competition in
Paralympic Games
Before the start of the
At the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games, she won four gold medals - 400 m (T53), 800 m (T53), 1500 m (T52-53) and 1500 m (T52-53) and finished fourth in Marathon (T52-53).[14] She won these while having an injured wrist. She set world records in the 1500 m and 5000 m events during these Games.[3] Sauvage won the 5000 m and the 400 m golds only an hour apart.[17] At her final Paralympics in Sydney, 2000, she won two gold medals - 1500 m and 5000 m T54 events and silver medal in 800 m T54.[14]
IPC Athletics World championships
Sauvage competed at three IPC Athletics World Championships. At the 1994 Championships in Berlin, Germany, she won four gold medals in T53 events - 800 m, 1500 m, 5000 m and Marathon.[14] At the 1998 Championships in Birmingham, England, she won six gold medals in 800 m, 1500 m, 5000 m, Marathon - T55 events, 4 × 100 m and 4 × 400 m (T54-55).[14] At her final Championships in 2002 at Lille, France, she won gold medal in 800 m T54 and silver medals in 1500 m and 5000 m T54.[14]
Road racing
1993 was Sauvage's first year on the international
Demonstration events
From 1993 to 2001, Sauvage won every
I think I was just so pumped up from the 5000 m, and warm enough, and hearing the anthem for Dave Evans [who had just won the men's 1500 m event] – that was fantastic to hear that in the background.
Louise Sauvage[17]
Training
Sauvage trained 10 to 14 hours a week when she was actively competing. Her training was very focused, and she attempted to make it fun to help her maintain interest.[22] She often trained six days a week. Her training included boxing, swimming and racing between 25 and 35 km in a single session.[20]
Frank Ponta was one of Sauvage's first coaches.[25] She was subsequently coached by Jenni Banks, who oversaw much of Sauvage's development as an elite wheelchair athlete, from her first international success at the World Games in Assen in 1990, to her best ever medal tally at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Atlanta in 1996.[26] Andrew Dawes was her coach after the 1996 Paralympics.[27]
Coaching career
After her retirement from competition, she became involved in coaching young wheelchair athletes,[18] establishing a foundation to help support children with disabilities in 2001.[19] In 2004, Sauvage started coaching other wheelchair athletes. The first athlete that she coached was Angie Ballard. Sauvage's coaching helped Ballard win gold 400 m and silver in the 100 m, 200 m, 800 m and 1500 m at the Summer Down Under Series in 2005.[5]
Sauvage has attended several international competitions as a coach. She was an athletics coach with the Australian team
Retirement
During her retirement from being an athlete, Sauvage created a consulting company that she works for.
In February 2011, Sauvage participated in the Charter Hall Malabar Magic Ocean Swim. The event was created to raise funds for Rainbow Club. It was Sauvage's first ocean swim. She finished the 1 km race in 25:19.[10]
In 2011, as part of the Australian Centre for Paralympic Studies oral history project of the National Library of Australia, Ian Jobling conducted an extensive interview with Sauvage.[30]
Disability rights
Sauvage and Paul Nunnar lobbied Virgin Blue during 2006 to drop a requirement that people in wheelchairs be accompanied by a carer if they wish to ride on a Virgin Blue aircraft. Previously, both athletes had tried to lobby Qantas to lift a limit of only two electric wheelchairs on domestic flights flying on Boeing 737s. The pair were ineffective because the change would have required a change in law, not in airline policy. Sauvage and Nunnar did receive an invitation to help train Qantas staff and help make staff more aware of the needs of disabled people.[5]
Recognition
Sport is my life. I have made a career out of it – I am a professional athlete. Living in Australia we are all very sport minded and I cannot see a life without it.
Louise Sauvage[22]
Sauvage was the
At the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney, Sauvage lit the cauldron during the opening ceremonies for the games.[4] In 2004, Sauvage carried the Australian flag into the stadium at the 2004 Summer Paralympics.[33]
In 2001, the State Transit Authority named a SuperCat ferry after Sauvage.[19] The Louise Sauvage Pathway, a 6.3-kilometre (3.9 mi) wheelchair-accessible bicycle and walking path within Sydney Olympic Park, is also named in her honour.[34] Sauvage and New South Wales Treasurer Michael Egan christened the park on 6 March 2003.[35]
She was inducted into the
In November 2018, Sauvage was awarded Sport NSW Coach of the Year. Young Athlete of the Year with a Disability.[42] In 2019, Sauvage was made a Legend in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. She became the first Australian Paralympian to be awarded Legend status.[43]
Sauvage was awarded Paralympics Australia 2020 Coach of the Year.[44]
In November 2021, she was awarded New South Wales Institute of Sport Coach if the Year.[45]
Several Paralympians cite Sauvage as inspiring them to become athletes, including wheelchair racer Kurt Fearnley.[46]
References
- ^ "Louise Sauvage OAM". New South Wales Institute of Sport. Archived from the original on 12 September 2011. Retrieved 17 July 2011.
- ^ ISBN 0-7360-4638-0.
- ^ OCLC 223055343.
- ^ OCLC 223078790.
- ^ a b c d e f Eales, John. "Interview by John Eales: Louise Sauvage". The Age, 15 December 2006: 7.
- ^ a b c Biography Archived 27 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine at She's Game, Women making Australian sporting history
- ^ ISBN 0-7360-4638-0.
- ^ Hutchinson, G. (2002). The best Australian sports writing, 2002. Melbourne, Vic: Black Inc. p.64.
- ^ a b c d e Hutchinson, G. (2002). The best Australian sports writing, 2002. Melbourne, Vic: Black Inc. p.65.
- ^ a b c d e f Julie, Robotham. "Sauvage savours her Magic moment." The Sydney Morning Herald, 21 February 2011: 5.
- ^ a b Hutchinson, G. (2002). The best Australian sports writing, 2002. Melbourne, Vic: Black Inc. p.67.
- ^ Sauvage, Louise, and Ian Heads. Louise Sauvage: My Story. Pymble, N.S.W: HarperCollins, 2002. Print.
- OCLC 221512981.
- ^ a b c d e f "Louise SAUVAGE (NSW)". Australian Athletics Historical Results. Archived from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "Sauvage, Alix Louise, OAM". It's an Honour. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- ^ Australian Paralympic Federation (November 1992). "Thrilling competition in Barcelona". LINK. Sydney, New South Wales: Australian Paralympic Federation: 25.
- ^ OCLC 222120061.
- ^ a b c Louise Sauvage steering WA's Madison de Rozario to Paralympic gold
- ^ a b c O'Brien, Jim (2002). "Chief Executive Officer summary". Wheelchair Sports Australia Annual Report 2001–2002. Canberra, Australia: Wheelchair Sports Australia: 7.
- ^ a b Lifestyle choices: A positive approach to healthy living – self-management, diet, exercise. (2005). Balcatta, W. A: R. I. C. Publications.
- ^ "Iconic wheelchair road race celebrates '25 years on the road'". Sydney Olympic Park Business Association. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ^ OCLC 607367259.
- ^ OCLC 156891922.
- OCLC 156891922.
- ^ "Paralympian dies". Herald Sun. 3 June 2011. p. 87. Archived from the original on 25 June 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ^ Coaching Foundation of Western Australia (December 1997). "From hockey to Paralympics for world-class coach". Coaching Connection. 4 (4): 5.
- ^ "Alix Louise Sauvage OAM". She's Game website. Archived from the original on 21 May 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ Media Guide – Beijing 2008 (PDF). Sydney: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2015.
- ^ "Annual Report – Australian Paralympic Committee" (2008/2009 ed.). Sydney: Australian Paralympic Committee. 2009: 21.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^ "Louise Sauvage interviewed by Ian Jobling in the Australian Centre for Paralympic Studies oral history project". National Library of Australia. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
- ^ Australian Institute of Sport 'Best of the Best' Archived 17 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Sauvage, Louise: Australian Sports Medal". It's an Honour. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2012.
- ^ FREYA, GRANT. "Louise will lead Paralympic team in opening ceremony – Sauvage to fly flag for Australia – Paralympics 2004 – 2 days to go". The Daily Telegraph (n.d.).
- ^ Playing for keeps Archived 5 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine (8 March 2003)
- ^ N.A. "NSW: Louise Sauvage helps Egan launch pathway". AAP General News (n.d.).
- ^ "Louise Sauvage". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ "Honour Roll - New South Wales Hall of Champions". Quay Centre website. Retrieved 21 October 2022.
- Australian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the originalon 7 February 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
- ^ "IPC Announces Visa Paralympic Hall of Fame Inductees". Archived from the original on 29 August 2012. Retrieved 30 August 2012.
- ^ "Quartet of stars inducted to Athletics Australia Hall of Fame". Australian Olympic Committee. 24 October 2014. Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 31 October 2014.
- ^ "2014 Induction Ceremony". Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre website. Archived from the original on 10 March 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
- ^ "Fox and Parker Headline NSW Sports Awards Success". Sport NSW website. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
- ^ "Sauvage 41st legend, Barty wins The Don". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. 10 October 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2020.
- ^ "De Rozario And Tudhope Earn Top Honours at Paralympics Australia Awards". Paralympics Australia. 9 June 2022. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- ^ "Louise Sauvage earns the Musashi coach of the year honours/". NSW Institute of Sport. 25 November 2021. Retrieved 26 November 2021.
- ^ Habashy, Angela (17 April 2011). "Fearnley's high hopes for Boston debut". The Sunday Telegraph. p. 065.
External links
Media related to Louise Sauvage at Wikimedia Commons
- Louise Sauvage at Australian Athletics Historical Results
- Louise Sauvage at Olympics.com
- Louise Sauvage at Paralympic.org
- Louise Sauvage at Olympedia
- Louise Sauvage at the Australian Olympic Committee
- Louise Sauvage at the Commonwealth Games Federation (archived)
- Louise Sauvage at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame
- Sauvage, Alix Louise at The Encyclopedia of Women and Leadership in Twentieth-Century Australia
- Review of My Story by Louise Sauvage
- Louise Sauvage - She's Game website
- Louise Sauvage interviewed by Ian Jobling in the Australian Centre for Paralympic Studies oral history project, National Library of Australia, 2011