Elizabeth Wright has a passion for everything that she does. The triple Australian Paralympic swimming medallist, born with a congenital limb deficiency, competed at both the Atlanta and Olympics, writes Katy Farmer.. As I found when we met, she possesses an overwhelming sense of enthusiasm and there is a conviction about the way that she speaks which is captivating. As Guest of Honour at Wellington School’s Commemoration Day 2013, she came to share her experiences with the students, staff and parents.
After winning a bronze medal at Atlanta in 1996, she went on to win both bronze and silver at Sydney 2000. This was, for Elizabeth, the payoff for all her hard work as she first got into competitive sport when it was announced that Sydney would be the host city of the Millennium.
She has, apparently, always loved being in the pool – she herself jokingly remarked “that’s an Australian thing” – and it’s where she first found freedom from her disability but it became more an ambition than a hobby when she decided that she wanted to swim and represent her country in the Paralympics off the back of that and threw herself into training.
The training itself, she said, wasn’t as difficult for her as one might imagine. She attributed this to her determination to achieve her goal and that mind-set and the support of her family was what made it possible.
Elizabeth credits a lot of her success not to herself but to others around her; to her brother for throwing her in their pool at the age of five without her “floaties”, to her father who encouraged her to keep pursuing success even when she was disqualified from her first competition for swimming the wrong stroke and to her coach, whose strategy helped her win her medals.
Despite this very humble attitude, Elizabeth advocates self-belief almost above anything else. When asked what was the best piece of advice she could give to anyone she said that it was to believe in themselves – when she began to believe, almost – she said – towards the end of her career – she really began to achieve, and if she can do it, “anyone can”.
Elizabeth Wright has a passion for everything that she does. The triple Australian Paralympic swimming medallist, born with a congenital limb deficiency, competed at both the Atlanta and Olympics, writes Katy Farmer.. As I found when we met, she possesses an overwhelming sense of enthusiasm and there is a conviction about the way that she speaks which is captivating. As Guest of Honour at Wellington School’s Commemoration Day 2013, she came to share her experiences with the students, staff and parents.
After winning a bronze medal at Atlanta in 1996, she went on to win both bronze and silver at Sydney 2000. This was, for Elizabeth, the payoff for all her hard work as she first got into competitive sport when it was announced that Sydney would be the host city of the Millennium.
She has, apparently, always loved being in the pool – she herself jokingly remarked “that’s an Australian thing” – and it’s where she first found freedom from her disability but it became more an ambition than a hobby when she decided that she wanted to swim and represent her country in the Paralympics off the back of that and threw herself into training.
The training itself, she said, wasn’t as difficult for her as one might imagine. She attributed this to her determination to achieve her goal and that mind-set and the support of her family was what made it possible.
Elizabeth credits a lot of her success not to herself but to others around her; to her brother for throwing her in their pool at the age of five without her “floaties”, to her father who encouraged her to keep pursuing success even when she was disqualified from her first competition for swimming the wrong stroke and to her coach, whose strategy helped her win her medals.
Despite this very humble attitude, Elizabeth advocates self-belief almost above anything else. When asked what was the best piece of advice she could give to anyone she said that it was to believe in themselves – when she began to believe, almost – she said – towards the end of her career – she really began to achieve, and if she can do it, “anyone can”.