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Commonwealth Games debutant Sarah Edmiston one of eight West Australians in Birmingham athletics team

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Ben SmithThe West Australian
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Sarah Edmiston will make her Commonwealth Games debut in the Women's Discus F42-44/F61-64 at the Birmingham Games.
Camera IconSarah Edmiston will make her Commonwealth Games debut in the Women's Discus F42-44/F61-64 at the Birmingham Games. Credit: Brian Cassey/Athletics Australia/Brian Cassey

It is unusual to be both the oldest member of a squad and simultaneously about to make your debut at a major athletics meet, but it is a situation Sarah Edmiston is embracing.

The 46-year-old is both a mum and a grandmother and is set to make her Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham come August as one of eight West Australians named in Australia’s initial 32-person track and field team for the games, alongside Peter Bol, Nina Kennedy, Madison de Rozario, Kurtis Marschall, Robyn Lambird, Rhiannon Clarke and Ella Pardy.

Edmiston won bronze at the Tokyo Paralympics in the discus F64 and earlier this year broke the Australian and Oceania record for the discus F44.

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After only earning classification post-Rio Olympics, Edmiston said the chance to represent Australia on the world stage was something she thought she would never get the chance to do after her promising athletics career was cut short by a waterskiing accident almost 30 years ago.

“It’s such a second chance for me because as a young person, I was an up and coming young athlete, and then I had an accident which pretty much wrote me out of the sport,” she said.

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“And I never thought I would get the chance to represent Australia after that happened, so to be given this opportunity to do it now is just amazing.”

Discus thrower Sarah Edmiston, of Marangaroo, has been selected in the Australian team for the Tokyo Paralympics next year.
Camera IconDiscus thrower Sarah Edmiston, of Marangaroo, has been selected in the Australian team for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games this year. Credit: Athletics Australia/RegionalHUB

The Marangaroo resident and WAIS scholarship holder said she was relishing competing in Birmingham and the added bonus of throwing in front of a packed stadium after the pandemic robber her of a full house to perform for in Tokyo.

“It’s actually really quite fortunate to have an event during your whole career as a para-athlete at the Commonwealth Games, especially as a thrower because there’s usually only one throw for one class of athletes at a games,” she said.

“I’ve known athletes that have competed 20 years and never had a Commonwealth Games; it’s a little different in that respect for us, so I really do feel fortunate to be given the opportunity to compete.”

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