‘Mighty’ de Rozario: From being inspired to inspiring a generation

Para wheelchair Track and Road superstar Madison de Rozario equalled Kurt Fearnley’s record of 11 Oz Day 10K Race victories after she completed the course around Sydney’s historic The Rocks precinct on Sunday in 26 blistering minutes and three seconds.

De Rozario, who has won eight Paralympic medals, including two gold for the energy taxing 800m T53 and Marathon T54 events, paused her victory celebrations to acknowledge the aspirational aspects of the race which started in 1990, and is now entrenched as a much-loved feature of the Harbour city’s Australia Day celebrations.

The 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games champion was thrilled to see the next wave of athletes taking their place on the starting line, including 16-year-old school student, Coco Espie, who won the junior female category in a time of 00.36.42.

De Rozario, a NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder said seeing the youngsters in this year’s race, including 10-year-old Lachlan Reid, who impressed by recording a time of 00.41.03, reminded her of when she was a starry-eyed 13-year-old and racing against her idols.

“The Oz Day 10km is the first race I ever did when I was a kid in an international field,” she said. “I’d never seen women … people with disabilities . . . being athletes in the way I was seeing. It was unbelievable. This sport says who we are.

“Now, it’s a bit overwhelming seeing yourself in that position [of inspiring youngsters] because I know the admiration I felt for them. I would never miss this race, and the chance to get to see young athletes.

“I remember [as a teenager] being on the hairpin and seeing Chantal [Petitclerc from Canada] and Edith [Wolf of Switzerland] heading back [towards the finish line] as I was going the other way. It was very special.

“This sport has an incredible culture where we give back. All of our physical equipment is handed down. The woman who won five gold medals at the Beijing Paralympic Games – I actually met her at this race – gave me her wheelchair to race in. It’s unbelievable how tightknit this group is, and to see that feeling still exists . . . I just love it.”

De Rozario, who has dominated numerous world championships, the Commonwealth Games and won a swag of titles at other major global events including the New York marathon, said the Oz Day 10K was a positive way to start the new year.

“It is such a cool race to do,” she said. “I don’t often get a chance to race in Australia, it’s usually overseas, and to get the chance to experience an Australian crowd is such a treat.

“You know how much support and love there is [for you from home] while you’re competing overseas, but to experience it is so wonderful.”

Photo (Back row from left to right): Glen Lebeau (coach), Andrew Dawes (coach), Rheed McCracken, Madison de Rozario. (Front row l-r): Coco Espie, Aimee Fisher, Christie Dawes, Louise Sauvage (coach), Sarah Clifton-Bligh.

Fellow NSWIS scholarship athlete Christie Dawes had 30 hard earned reasons to celebrate this year’s race – it was the 30^th Oz Day 10K she’d contested. The mother of two, who won the event in 2009 and finished second to de Rozario in a time of 00:27:43, also spoke of the event’s unique atmosphere.

“I did my first one in January 1993 as a 12-year-old and I’m here in my 45^th year for my 30^th race,” said Dawes, a three-time Paralympian. “It still has a great community feeling and the atmosphere is very strong.”

Dawes said one other aspect that hadn’t changed in all that time was the race remains a huge challenge!

“It’s a technical course . . .  there’s not much of a straight because you’re always on a bend or ‘hipping’ around a bend,” she said. “And then there’s the scrappy little hill at the end. It’s always great day, and it is one that holds a special place in our sport as being one of the only exclusively wheelchair races in the world. It’s very special.”   

Rheed McCracken, who has won a total of eight Paralympic medals for competing in the 100m or 800m track events, grinned when it was suggested his racing in the 10K was akin to fellow NSWIS athletes, and Olympic 100m sprinters Josh Azzopardi and Rohan Browning, taking on a 5000m race.

“I‘ve done this race since 2011, and I’ve been somewhat strong in it because I do up to 10km in a training session,” said McCracken, who crossed the line in sixth place (00:25.29). “It’s just a matter of trying to do it quick. But I enjoy this race, I’ve had some quick finishes before, and while I’m a sprinter I can definitely do 10km.

“It’s cool, starting on George Street means you see all the people, and it is always nice to have their support. You can hear the people, and you do get the chance to take it in even though you’re focussed on the race.”

McCracken, who leaves tomorrow to compete in the Dubai GP, provided a firsthand account of why the hill at the end each lap deserves to be known as ‘Heartbreak Hill.’

“It is hard, and it’s a weird one because it’s quite bumpy . . .  you have a couple of little ‘kinks’ on it and you’re not just going straight up a hill, and there’s also a speed hump!” said McCracken.

 “And you have to do it three times. There’s also lots of bumps and potholes that you need to avoid.  So, it’s a tough race, and the people who win it are deserving of it because it really is a tough race.”

NSWIS athlete and Paralympian Sarah Clifton-Bligh, who has also competed for Australia in shot put, had good reason to celebrate her effort to finish in 00.40.17, declaring she found the race ‘easier’ than the previous year.

“My goal was to finish under 45 minutes,” she said with a huge smile. “I’ll always do the Oz Day because it is such a great event, and I’d like to really thank all of the volunteers who gave up their time for us.”

NSWIS-based Louis Sauvage, an icon of Para sport and the National Coach, wheelchair Track and Road, said she was proud of the performances, including that of NSWIS athlete Aimee Fisher who completed the course in 00:33:21.

“I’m proud of everyone, Sarah, Madi, Rheed, Aimee – because she hasn’t done the race for a couple of years, but she smashed her time – everyone has done do well,” said Sauvage who won the race on 10 occasions.

 “And Christie Dawes did so well, she’s been doing this race for a long time. The Oz Day 10K is such a great event, and it was fantastic to see all the guys out there.”

 Daniel Lane, NSWIS

Photographs courtesy of Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT Facebook Page (email info@wsnsw.org.au)