Ella Pardy

EVENTS:  Women's 100m T38

AGE:  33 (DOB 22 Dec 1990)

COACH:  Danny Kevan

STATE: WA

AUSTRALIAN TEAM DEBUT: 2014 Commonwealth Games

PERSONAL BESTS: 12.96 (7 Jan 2023)

BIOGRAPHY

Ella Pardy’s start in sport and eventually athletics is one of the most unique of any athlete. She had developed cerebral palsy from asphyxiation during her 28-hour delivery, and at the age of three, she was also diagnosed with autism.
“I slept only three hours and had broken sleep at night for fourteen years, and in an effort to wear me out, my mum got me involved in many sports including swimming, ice skating, tennis, basketball and horse riding,” recalled Ella.
“I had a lot of success within those sports, especially with The Riding for the Disabled and swimming. I entered some athletics sprints events inadvertently at age 15 with success, and so went on to concentrate solely on 100 and 200m sprints.”
She debuted for Australia as a teenager in 2007 at the Special Olympics Shanghai World Games, where she won gold in the 100m sprint.

She made her first of three Commonwealth Games appearances at Glasgow in 2014, placing nineth in the long jump. 
The next year it was the global 2015 World Para-Athletics Championships, where she was fifth in both the 100m and 200m. 
She made her Paralympic debut in Rio in 2016, placing sixth in the 100m and won bronze as a member of the Australian 4x100m relay. 
This bronze medal remains her best sporting moment. “Especially as it was with my fellow team mates,” she said.

Ella made her second and third World Championships in 2017 and 2019, placing fifth or sixth in the sprints.
She was selected for the Tokyo Paralympics where she was seventh in the 100m.

After Glasgow in 2014, she was selected for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, where she just missed the podium there. Her event was on the Birmingham Commonwealth Games program and in June she was named for her third Commonwealth Games team in the T38 100m. She travels there ranked fourth, but just 0.19 seconds separates athletes ranked second to fifth, which includes Ella’s training partner Rhiannon Clarke.

Ella Pardy’s performances in the last seven years have been of the highest quality, annually on the Australian team. She explained:
“After the five-year physical and mental preparation for Tokyo Paralympics and the last two years with Covid conditions, I feel truly connected to myself, my ability and my coach.”

In 2022 Ella Pardy, who has been a regular on the National team since 2014, was selected for her third Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. At the Games, she progressed through the heat, to place fifth in the final in a time of 13.38.

Ella made strong progress in 2023 competing at the Para-Athletics World Championships in Paris. She placed 5th in the T38 100m and 200m – her equal best places in six global meet appearances. Her times of 13.10 (100m) and 27.41 (200m) were her fastest on the international stage. 

After competing in May 2024 at her fifth world championship, where she was 6th in the T38 100m, she was named to her third Paralympic Games team for Paris 2024.

Hero: Cathy Freeman is my total hero as my memory of her winning Gold for the 400m at Sydney 2000 Olympics is etched in my mind. She was so focused, determined and despite carrying the weight of the Nation’s hopes, she stayed strong in the belief of her ability. She stands tall for so many different people and has a true deep love for her sport and her country… Most influential person in your career: My mum always has faith in what I do and guides me so I will find the path that leads to what fits best for me… Advice to your young self: Always believe in yourself…Hobbies: I love art and other sports like swimming, tennis and badminton. If I had more time, I would go back to my horse riding and ice skating…Interesting Facts: I love Paralympic/Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, and seem to have a good memory for flags of the World… Biggest challenge you've faced: Fracturing my left ankle in 2013, feeling vulnerable, scared but determined to fight back. Six months later, achieving a PB 0.06 seconds off the T38 !00m World Record at the time…Enjoyment of competing: I like to show people what I am capable of despite the challenges of Autism and mild Cerebral Palsy, and that we are not defined by these labels.

@ 22 Aug 2024 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au