Madison Wins Athlete Of The Year

NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holders Madison de Rozario and Ellie Cole have taken out top honours at the tenth annual Women’s Health Women In Sport (WinS) Awards overnight.

Madison won Women’s Health Athlete of the Year Award after she took her legacy to the next level at the Tokyo 2022 Paralympic Games. Having first represented Australia in Beijing at the age of 14, the three-time world champion won her first Paralympic gold medal in the 800 metre T53 final, setting a new Games Record of 1:45.99 in the process at her fourth Games Tokyo.

But the gold rush didn’t stop there. On September 5, 2021, Madison became the first Australian woman to win gold in the T54 marathon, crossing the line one second ahead of Swiss athlete Manuela Schaer in a nail-biting finish. In addition to securing top spot on the podium, the victory was also a Paralympic marathon record of 1:38.11.

In Tokyo, Madison rounded out her medal collection with bronze in the 1,500 metre T54 final. In November 2021, Madison made history again, becoming the first Australian woman (in either the wheelchair or open events) to win the New York Marathon. She crossed the line almost three minutes ahead of her nearest competitor – Tatyana McFadden, a five-time winner of the event – in a time of 1:51.01.

The Perth-born athlete’s breakout year continued at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, when she took gold on a gruelling course in the women’s T53/54 marathon – and with her race chair held together by zip ties after it was damaged in transit on the way to the event.

Just five days later, Madison became the first Australian Para athlete to win four Commonwealth Games gold medals, when she successfully defended her crown in the 1,500-metre final. A force for equality and inclusion, she continues to break new ground as one of this country’s most important and successful sporting figures.

Ellie won the Outstanding Women in Sport Award for her achievements in swimming. Growing up, Ellie looked up to swimmers Susie O’Neill, Petria Thomas and Jodie Henry, and now, the 30-year-old has become a legend herself. Ellie, who specialises in freestyle and backstroke, has won 17 Paralympic medals (including six gold), 10 world championship medals, four Commonwealth Games medals, and is featured in the 2020 Netflix documentary Rising Phoenix, a tribute to Paralympic great achievers.

Article courtesy of Women’s Health