Tokyo Paralympics: Louise Sauvage’s mad border dash for Madi de Rozario’s chair repair

One of Australia’s greatest athletes has turned delivery gal due to border closures across the country ahead of the Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Madison de Rozario after wining the 800m T53 race at the 2019 world titles.

Australian Hall of Famer and Paralympic legend Louise Sauvage’s mad dash to the ACT border has saved the day for her charge, wheelchair racer Madi de Rozario, heading into the Paralympics.

While our Olympians and now all back home and in quarantine, our Paralympians are having to overcome major obstacles to prepare for their racing and to leave the country for the Games starting next week.

Paralympic wheelchair racer Louise Sauvage is now a top-level coach for Australia.

Sauvage, the multiple Paralympic champion and world record holder turned coach, and top wheelchair racer Madi de Rozario opted to stay in Sydney for their final Games preparations.

But prior to stricter lockdown measures late last week, Sauvage sought and was granted permission to make a day-long dash from Sydney to near the ACT border with a racing wheelchair needing urgent repairs.

“I had a Covid test before then left at 6am, got to Sutton and then hung around until I was able to get it back fixed around three hours later and drove home,” she said.

“It was a bloody long day.”

Sauvage said the next logistics hurdle for she and de Rozario is getting to the airport on Friday for their charter flight to Tokyo.

Madi di Rozario is one of the stars of the Paralympic team.

Public transport is banned and both live on their own close to Sydney Olympic Park so a lift to the airport is out.

“Normally we would just get a maxi taxi but we can’t use public transport,’’ said Sauvage, who like the rest of the team must have more Covid tests done 96 hours and 72 hours before their flight to Tokyo.

“We have a truckload of gear as well. We’ll sort it out.’’

The majority of the Australian athletics and swim team are now based in Cairns ahead of a number of charter flights to Tokyo on Wednesday and Friday this week.’

But a number, including support staff, were unable to join the team due to the lockdowns, while others had to leave their homes early to make it into Queensland.

Athletes have tuned to the internet and zoom to stay in touch with support staff, coaches and teammates and for coaching sessions in their final run to the Games.