UOW confers an honorary doctorate on one of Australia's most successful Paralympians in history!

Mid-April marks the grand day of the first graduation ceremony of the University of Wollongong (UOW) in 2024. At this graduation ceremony, we witnessed a legendary figure being awarded an honorary Doctorate of Letters by UOW, in recognition of her great contributions to the Paralympic movement. She is Ms. Louise Sauvage.

Ms. Sauvage is one of Australia's most famous Paralympic athletes, leaving an eternal glorious record in wheelchair racing competitions: winning 9 gold medals and 4 silver medals at four Paralympic Games, 2 gold medals and 1 bronze medal at three Olympic demonstration events, 12 gold medals and 2 silver medals at four IPC Athletics World Championships, and countless victories at the world's most prestigious events or road races. Few, if any, can match Ms. Sauvage's achievements in sports.

She has elevated the image and awareness of Paralympic sports and athletes in Australia and around the world, ensuring that people can appreciate the outstanding performances of disabled athletes, rather than their limitations.

Ms. Louise Sauvage (second from the left) attended UOW's graduation ceremony

Born with challenges, but destined to be strong

Ms. Sauvage was born in Perth with a severe congenital spinal disease that inhibited the function of the lower body, leading to limited control over the legs. She underwent 20 surgeries before the age of 10. From a young age, her parents encouraged her to actively participate in sports, and she was fearless.

With her determination and competitiveness, she thrived in wheelchair racing. She said: 'Part of my personality might be very stubborn but also good at pushing myself. The key to becoming a great athlete is determination, to see how far I can go in sports.'

Creating countless glories

In Ms. Sauvage'sprofessional athletic career, she set many records.

In 1990, at the age of16, she first participated in an international competition, the World Disabled Athletics Championships in the Netherlands, winning the100meters gold medal and setting a new world record.
At the1996Atlanta Paralympics, she set new world records in the1500meters and5000meters events, and won four gold medals.

Her success in Atlanta propelled her career to new heights and pushed the sport to unimaginable new levels. Ms. Sauvage was one of the first Australian Paralympic athletes to receive corporate sponsorship, achieved at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, thereby changing the way the sport attracted new audiences in the future.

Ms. Sauvage said: 'Receiving corporate sponsorship, turning a disabled athlete into a professional athlete, was unheard of in the past. It's fantastic for someone to try and achieve this. Although it's commonplace now, it was groundbreaking at the time.'

Additionally, she lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony of the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, an unparalleled honor for an athlete.After dominating the sport for14years, she retired after the2004Athens Paralympics.

Image from the official website of the International Paralympic Committee

After retirement, the glory continues

After retiring,Ms. Sauvagebegan her coaching career, serving as a wheelchair track and road coach at the New South Wales Institute of Sport. The athletes she coached have won Paralympic gold medals, world records, World Championship gold medals, and Commonwealth Games gold medals.

Moreover, she has served as a national team coach at four more Paralympics and will find out in June whether she will be selected for the 2024 Paris Paralympics. If she does, it will be her ninth Paralympics as an athlete and coach.

LouiseSauvage

has always promoted the development of disabled sports

As a patron of New South Wales/Australian Capital Territory wheelchair sports and a Rainbow Club ambassador,Ms. Sauvagehas been committedto serving and supporting grassroots organizationsfor over 20years, personally driving these organizations to achieve many important things for members of the disabled community.

She said: 'It's fantastic to see our athletes having the same opportunities as able-bodied athletes. This helps change the perception of many sports.'

Countless honors

Ms. Sauvage'sextraordinary achievements and contributions have earned her many prestigious awards, the most notable including:

The first disabled athlete to be inducted into the Australian Sports Hall of Fame and subsequently elevated to legend status
She was awarded the Order of Australia and is the first athlete to be inducted into the Australian Paralympic Committee Hall of Fame
Inducted into the International ParalympicCommittee Hall of Fame
Winner of the Laureus World Sports Award for Disabled Athlete of the Year

A ferry, street, and path in Sydney are named after her, as well as numerous school sports venues across Australia.

Regarding the honorary doctorate awarded by UOW, she expressed great honor in receiving the honorary doctorate, and her mother flew from Perth to celebrate this moment with her, making it particularly special.

'It's fantastic to be recognized at so many different levels throughout my career.'