Tokyo Olympic: How Rio Rugby Sevens win inspired Sariah Paki to try sport

For years Sariah Paki spent hours on buses and trains getting to training because she was too young to drive. Now she’s heading to Tokyo hoping to steer a new generation of women into her sport.

Sariah Paki remembers the exact moment she decided she wanted to be an Olympian and the put down which gave her the drive to achieve the feat.

Just 19 and one of the youngest athletes competing in Tokyo, Paki is part of an Australian women’s Rugby Sevens side out to defend the gold medal won by a very different team in Rio in 2016.

It was while watching these women joyously celebrate their histroic gold in 2016 that touch footballer Paki realised her sporting destiny, despite not playing rugby.

Sariah Paki made her debut for Australia when just 17.

“I watched them all run over to their families and hug and kiss them, so excited. Right then I knew I wanted to be one of them,” said Paki, who goes by the nickname “Big Girl” because of her love of big hits and the physicality of the game.

The moment the teenager harnessed the drive to achieve her dream came around the same time when her talent as a footballer was questioned.

“ I remember getting told, someone saying, you shouldn’t play touch you are just not good enough,’’ said Paki, from Dee Why on Sydney’s northern beaches.

“I use that as motivation. I turned it into something to get me through the hard work, just vowing I would be able to do this.

Sharni Williams, Nicole Beck and Gemma Etheridge celebrating their 2016 Rio Olympic gold.

“I wanted to be an Olympian ever since I saw them in Rio. I couldn’t believe they were there playing a woman’s sport, that they were being paid and doing it professionally.

“It was incredible. I was about 15 then and look at me now. I can’t believe it. Wow.

“I hope other girls see me one day and want to do this too.’’

In extraordinary scenes, Rugby Sevens became one of the big hits of the Rio Games and lured a new legion of fans when the Australian side led by Shannon Parry defeated New Zealand 24-7 in an enthralling gold medal decider.

Parry and Sharni Williams have returned for Tokyo along with Emma Tonegato, Evania Pelite and Charlotte Caslick.

But the majority of the team are first-times with Paki, Demi Hayes, Dominique Du Toit, Faith Nathan, Tia Hinds, Maddison Levi and Maddison Ashby to make their Olympic debuts

Despite her touch football critic, Paki was always destined to be a football star of some description.

Sariah Paki is one of seven Tokyo debutants.

She found her fit in Sevens and in a meteoric rise was Australia’s youngest ever World Series debutant back in 2019 when just 17.

But she also has big plans for the future off the pitch as a budding business woman.

“I want to be a lash artist and get a business with my sisters Aaliyah,” Paki said.

“And me and Madi (teammate Madison Ashby), we have a dress hire business.

“I want to make money. I want to be my own boss.”

Australia, in Pool C with the USA, China and Japan, will take on the host nation in their first match of the Olympics on July 29.

Originally published as Tokyo Olympic: How Rio Rugby Sevens win inspired Sariah Paki to try sport