Sarah Edmiston

EVENTS:  Discus Throw F64

AGE:  47 (DOB 8 Sept 1975)

COACH:  Paul Edmiston

STATE: WA

AUSTRALIAN TEAM SENIOR DEBUT: 2020 Paralympics

PERSONAL BESTS: 39.13m (2022)

BIOGRAPHY

Sarah Edmiston’s international debut in 2017 was 41 years in the making. A born athlete, Sarah was water skiing when she severed the arteries in her right leg, tearing her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and PCL (posterior cruciate ligament). Only just avoiding amputation, Sarah asked her surgeons when she could start throwing again.

“I want to go to the Olympics,” she said.

“You’ll never throw again,” they said.

That was in 1994.

23 years after her Olympic dream was put to bed, a new dream – a Paralympic dream – emerged.

In 2016, Sarah learned she was eligible to compete in Paralympic sport. Keen to Apparently make up for lost time, she quickly scaled the ranks to establish herself as a force to be reckoned with, not only in Australian throwing circles, but globally.

Sarah was Selected to represent Australia for the first time at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships, Sarah won bronze in the women’s discus throw F44 – with a new national record of 33.80m on her third attempt – behind the reigning Paralympic gold and silver medallists, China’s Juan Yao and Yue Yang. She also placed seventh in the women’s shot put F44 (8.04m).

In 2019, Sarah upgraded her bronze to silver, closing in on Yao (38.78) with another Australian record (36.43) in the women’s discus throw F64 (six metres separated the pair in 2017), and in 2020, she achieved a world No. 1 ranking in the women’s discus throw F44.

She continued her progression at the Tokyo Paralympics, throwing a championship best of 37.85m, but increased competition pushed her to bronze in Paralympic debut. This result remains her most memorable sporting moment.

“The Paralympics are the pinnacle of my sport and to perform well there is what I have worked towards for my whole career,” she said.

Ahead of the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Sarah was in career best form over the 2022 summer, breaking the Australian record with a throw of 39.13m in February. In May she was announced in the Australian team for the Commonwealth Games going on to win silver in the F44 discus with a throw of 34.96m. It was her fourth international championship/Games and she maintained her record of a medal at every meet.

Biggest challenge you've faced: When I was 19 I had a water skiing accident. It was very challenging to go from an active young athlete to being unable to walk in an instant…Coach: Husband Paul Edmiston a three-time national hurdles medallist…Parent: mum-of-four…Start in athletics: I started Little Athletics at age 7. My local club was Bungaree Little Athletics and it was attached to my primary school so lots of kids from my school went there, my older brother was also at the club…Hero: Author Janine Shepherd’s book ‘Never tell me Never’ helped me get through recovery after my accident and inspired me to chase my dreams no matter what challenges stand in the way…Most influential person in your career: My husband Paul - as well as being my coach he has taught me how to be an elite athlete in all aspects of my life… Advice to your young self: Be patient, achieving important things in life takes dedication over a long period of time. (And don’t go water skiing!)...Hobbies: I enjoy gardening, in my garden at home I have a wide variety of plants including many fruit trees, vegetables, roses, natives and indoor plants…Pre-injury: competed in my first open national championships when I was 16 years old, in Hammer.

@ 6 June 2023 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au