Australian paralympic champion Sarah Walsh visits family in Carrick-on-Suir

Sarah Walsh, an Australian Paralympic amputee athlete, who is the reigning bronze medallist in the women’s long jump T64, enjoyed a recent visit “home” to family in Carrickbeg, Carrick-on-Suir, staying at her aunt Olivia Walsh’s and cousin Emer’s house, next door to her paternal grandmother Theresa Walsh in Coolnamuck, the homestead where Sarah’s father Tom grew up.
Sarah, who was born in Australia in 1998, is an exceptional athlete who has taken to the world stage proudly representing Australia in Para-athletics with an ever-increasing personal best in the long jump. Sarah was born with fibular hemimelia and her parents Tom and Patricia (who’s from Clones, Co Monaghan) had a harrowing decision to make, which resulted in a below the knee amputation when she was just 18-months-old.
Growing up in Sydney gave Sarah the opportunity to pursue her love of sports and she enjoyed swimming, surfing, dancing and athletics in her younger years, and was drawn particularly to the long jump after receiving a prosthetic running blade when she was just 10-years-old. She had been encouraged by a teacher to get involved in Para-athletics the previous year and had joined Helensburg Little Athletics Club.
Her skill and brilliant athletic performances led her to represent her school, town and state from an early age and at 15 Sarah represented Australia for the first time in 2014 at an international indoor sports event held in Glasgow, which was a lead-up to the Commonwealth Games. She came second in a jump of 4.28 metres, which was a personal best for her at that time.
Fuelled with amazing energy, motivation and a great love of the sport, Sarah went on to represent Australia at the IPC Athletics World Championships held in Doha, Qatar in 2015, when she finished sixth in the Women’s Long Jump T44 with a 4.70m jump.
Further success followed as she competed in the Paralympic Games held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and achieved sixth place in a 4.82m jump in the Women’s Long Jump T44, setting an Oceanian record. Her parents, younger sisters Maura and Katie and family, including her grandmother Theresa Walsh and aunt Olivia from Carrickbeg and uncles and aunts from Rathgormack, had all travelled over to support her.

Above: Sarah Walsh, Australian Paralympic amputee athletic champion is pictured with her paternal grandmother, Theresa Walsh, Coolnamuck, Carrickbeg, Carrick-on-Suir during her recent visit to her family in Carrickbeg

Success continued and Sarah took fourth place in the women’s long jump during the World Para Athletics Championships held in London in 2017 with a jump of 4.85m. The World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai in 2019 was the next venue for Sarah to represent Australia and she excelled in the Long Jump T64 with a leap of 5.20m. The joy of winning a bronze medal for third place was immense and she continued to train, which led her to again represent Australia in August 2021 in the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020, gaining seventh place in the long jump with a jump of 5.11m. The games took place this year as they had been cancelled in 2020 because of Covid restrictions.
Sarah will now compete in the World Para Athletics Championships to be held in Kobe, Japan, which are scheduled for next August at the Kobe Universiade Memorial Stadium, one of Japan’s multipurpose stadiums.
Sarah Walsh may well trace her athletic talents to the Davins of Deerpark, Carrick-on-Suir. At least that would be one ancestral line to probe. The Davin brothers, Tom, Maurice and Pat were famous 19th century local and national athletes. Their aunt, Mary Davin, was married to Philip Drohan. Sarah is a descendant of Mary and Philip. At only 23 she aspires to winning silver and gold in the future.
Her positive attitude to life and sport is evident in all that she does and she is remarkably grounded, balancing her training with an active social life, healthy eating to keep her energised and allocating time for her current studies in Exercise Science and Sports Science at the University of Canberra NSW.
Sarah trains six days a week for up to two and-a-half hours taking in running, jumping and gym weights, which all help her maintain her fitness levels. Through sport she has met people with all sorts of disabilities and has made many great friends from all over the world.
“We all bond competitively on the track and off the track,” she said, adding that without her prosthetic leg and running blade she would not be doing what she’s doing. “It was one of the best things to happen. I have met so many new people and nothing has hindered me in my sport. I have had great help and support from my family and others who are always behind me.”

Above: Sarah with her bronze medal won in the World Para Athletics Championships held in Dubai in 2019

Sarah said that she couldn’t have achieved her success without the support and help from everyone else. “Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something, we can all find a way to do what we love,” she added.
Sarah loves what she does. She was never pushed going forward and was only ever encouraged and supported in her training. In 2016 Sarah designed a t-shirt with all profits from sales going to the Australian charity Limbs 4 Life, which helps and supports amputees. Her brilliant design featured an eye with the caption Dare to Stare. One of her great strengths is her attitude to competing in sport. She is never stressed, always happy doing what she is doing best and working on getting beyond her personal best of 5.49m, with the advice to “always follow your dreams.”
Sarah praises everyone, especially her family in Australia and Ireland, and coach Matt Beckenham, who she says with great pride “have always been the supportive and driving forces behind her successes.”

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