Wild story behind 44yo Aussie supermum Sinead Diver’s legendary marathon

The oldest member of Australia’s athletics team has broken a 33-year drought in the women’s marathon, a sport she took up just 11 years ago.

Sinead Diver competed in the women’s marathon final.

Imagine picking up a sport at the age of 33, quickly realising you’re “quite good” and then committing yourself to the sport full-time while raising two kids at the same time.

Sinead Diver, 44, is living that reality.

The oldest member of the Australian athletics team finished an astonishing 10th in the women’s marathon final at the Tokyo Olympics, with a smashing time of 2:31:14 in the humid heat.

Diver, who was born and raised in County Mayo in Ireland but moved to Melbourne at age 25 in 2002, produced Australia’s best finish in the women’s marathon since Lisa Ondieki’s silver medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Diver took up the sport at age 33.

The race was also Diver’s Olympic debut.

For the 44-year-old mother of two, her finish took her by complete surprise.

DAY 15 LIVE BLOG

“I’m speechless, I’m so happy. I didn’t expect to come top 10,” Diver said.

“That was something I really wanted before the race, so I’m absolutely stoked that I fought for that spot at the end.

“I had to sprint to get past the girl in front of me, so I’m so happy I managed to do that.

Diver produced Australia’s best finish in the women’s marathon in 33 years.

“My coach said to me before the race, ‘The first 90 minutes you’ve just got to feel relatively comfortable, the race doesn’t start until after that’, and I kept reminding myself of that, so I kept pulling back a bit. I gave it everything from about 32km.

“I’m just so relieved that I was able to stay strong until the end.”

Diver fought back tears as she spoke to her family through the camera. “I’ve been away from them for quite a few weeks now,” she said.

Sinead Diver’s post race interview…I’m not crying, you’re crying. Wait maybe that is me crying…

— Brendan Bradford (@1bbradfo) August 6, 2021

Sinead Diver, what an inspiration. Top 10 finish in her debut #Olympics at the age of 44!

— Josie Fielding (@josiefielding7) August 6, 2021

To run top 10 in the marathon on Olympic debut aged 44 after starting running as a 33yo, Sinead Diver shows there’s hope for us all. #OlympicGames#marathon#athletics

— Andrew Wu (@wutube) August 6, 2021

Sinead Diver making the top 10 in the women’s marathon at the Olympics just now at 44 years of age (her first Olympics) has really put my prevaricating about going for a jog today into perspective…

— Dr Peter van Onselen (@vanOnselenP) August 6, 2021

“I really miss them. I hope they are proud of their mum, I’m sure they are screaming at the TV now.

“I want to say thank you to my husband, Colin, who supported me so much throughout this. He has taken on way more than his fair share of things, so I’m really grateful to him.

“My dad is probably the proudest man on the planet at the moment.”