Eliza Ault-Connell

September 19, 1981

Sydney, New South Wales

She survived meningococcal disease and plays a major role in improving the Australian community"s awareness of the disease. In 1997, at the age of 16, she nearly died from meningococcal disease. She had both her legs amputated above the knees two days after contracting the disease. She said Amputation wasn"t a decision I had to make: I was in a coma at the time. Mum and Dad were told that"s what had to be done to save my life, so in that sense there was no choice. Later she had to make the decision to have most of the fingers on each hand removed. She was in hospital for six months. In 1998, she acquired prosthetic legs. She is involved in promoting the awareness of meningococcal disease in the Australian community. Athletics Before her illness, she excelled in netball and basketball. In 1998, she started running using her prosthetic legs and was classed T44 athlete. However, she was forced to move to wheelchair racing as a T54 athlete due to a problem with the bone in the stump. At the 2004 Olympic Games, she finished second in the demonstration sport of Women"s 1500 m wheelchair and the Women"s 800 m wheelchair. She also participated in the 2004 Summer Paralympics. At the 2004 Athens Paralympics, she competed in five events and did not medal. 2002 Australian Junior Paralympian of the Year 2003 Newcastle Young Citizen of the Year 2007 Victorian State Finalist Young Australian of the Year 2007.

Eliza Ault-Connell

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athletics competitor

Background

She was born in Sydney, New South Wales on 19 September 1981.

Career

She survived meningococcal disease and plays a major role in improving the Australian community"s awareness of the disease. In 1997, at the age of 16, she nearly died from meningococcal disease. She had both her legs amputated above the knees two days after contracting the disease.

She said Amputation wasn"t a decision I had to make: I was in a coma at the time.

Mum and Dad were told that"s what had to be done to save my life, so in that sense there was no choice. Later she had to make the decision to have most of the fingers on each hand removed.

She was in hospital for six months. In 1998, she acquired prosthetic legs.

She is involved in promoting the awareness of meningococcal disease in the Australian community.

Athletics Before her illness, she excelled in netball and basketball. In 1998, she started running using her prosthetic legs and was classed T44 athlete. However, she was forced to move to wheelchair racing as a T54 athlete due to a problem with the bone in the stump.

At the 2004 Olympic Games, she finished second in the demonstration sport of Women"s 1500 m wheelchair and the Women"s 800 m wheelchair.

She also participated in the 2004 Summer Paralympics. At the 2004 Athens Paralympics, she competed in five events and did not medal.

2002 Australian Junior Paralympian of the Year

2003 Newcastle Young Citizen of the Year

2007 Victorian State Finalist Young Australian of the Year 2007.

Achievements

Her first major international competition was 2002 Commonwealth Games where she won the bronze medal in the Women"s Wheelchair 800m. At the 2002 IPC Athletics World Championships, she competed in three events and won silver medal in the Women"s 400m T54 event. She won bronze medal in the Women"s 800m T54 at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. At the 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships, she competed in three events and won a bronze medal in the Women"s 800m T54. She won three consecutive Oz Day 10K Wheelchair Road Race from 2004 to 2006. NSWIS Ian Thorpe Grand Slam International Outstanding Achievement Award.

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Eliza Ault-Connell

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Awards

Commonwealth Games