This article was first written for and published by Siren Sport. 

The first time Tyan Taylor saw goalball being played was at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics. She thought it was the coolest thing she had ever seen.

Taylor had grown up with ocular albinism and nystagmus which impacted her vision and goalball was the first time she had seen a sport which included people that looked just like her. Such was the impact on a young Taylor, that a couple of weeks later she went to visit her grandmother June, and had a conversation with her about it.

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This article was first written for and published by Siren Sport. 

When Aoife Coughlan’s parents Paul and Jean met decades ago doing judo at university, little did they know that they were starting a connection to the sport which would continue through their children.

Coughlan first set foot on a judo mat at age five.

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This article was first written for and published by Siren Sport.

CW: This article includes mention of suicide and drug addiction

After living with chronic pain, depression and an addiction to prescription medication for two decades, AJ Jennings made a brave decision to amputate her right leg through the knee. It wasn’t too long after making this decision that Jennings discovered para-canoe; and now she is set to represent Australia in her second Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Making the decision to amputate her leg was a life or death situation for Jennings. Her reality had been two decades confined to a wheelchair, housebound and an addiction to prescription painkillers. She was at the point where she was considering taking her own life.

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This article was first written for and published by the Roar.

Five years ago, after the Rio Olympic Games, Australian BMX athlete Lauren Reynolds was at her lowest.

“After Rio I felt completely unaccomplished,” says Reynolds.

“Even though I had been to two Olympic Games, I felt like I was going nowhere and nothing made sense.

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This article was first written for and published by Siren Sport.

Rowie Webster landed in Tokyo last week, alongside her Australian Stingers teammates, preparing to represent Australia in her third Olympic Games.

Plenty has changed for Webster since she made her Olympic water polo debut in London in 2012.

“I started as a fairly good water polo player, that didn’t have any understanding of the details that our leadership group had to pay attention to,” said Webster.

“I had the luxury of just going out, playing and focusing on my own performance.

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This article was first written for and published by the Roar. 

With the announcement that Emma Jeffcoat will be one of the six athletes set to represent Australia at the Tokyo Olympic Games in triathlon, she joins a rich history in triathlon of successful women named Emma.

This article was first written for and published by the Roar.

Despite playing a variety of sports growing up, Tamika Saxby almost had no choice but to play squash.

Saxby’s father was a squash coach and by the time Saxby was seven years old her parents bought a squash court and moved the family to Coffs Harbour.

“I was kind of locked in then, once my parents bought the squash centre that was it,” said Saxby.

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This article was first written for and published by the Roar.

Earlier this month, Ellie Pashley was named as part of the Australian Olympic team to head to Tokyo for the Olympic Games.

Pashley will join eight other men and women who will represent Australia in the marathon and racewalk.

For Pashley, who will compete in the marathon, this will be her debut Olympics.

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This article was first written for and published by Siren Sport.

Last week when Kiana Elliott was named as part of Australia’s Olympic team to compete in Tokyo it was the fulfillment of a childhood dream.

“Representing Australia was something that was mentioned to me when I was quite young,” said Elliott.

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This article was first written for and published by Siren Sport. 

Earlier this week, Natalya Diehm and five other riders made history when they were named to compete for the Australian Olympic Team in Tokyo in BMX and Mountain Bike.

Diehm will make history as Australia’s first Olympic BMX Freestyler when the discipline makes its debut at an Olympic Games in Tokyo.

The opportunity to compete at an Olympic Games is another feather on what is already a distinguished career for Diehm. In 2019, Diehm won the 2019 Vans BMX Pro Cup with events in the United States of America, Australia, Germany and Mexico.

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