Louise Sauvage

Alix Louise Sauvage, OAM (born 18 September 1973) is an Australian Paralympic wheelchair racer and coach. She won nine gold medals and four silver medals at the Paralympic Games. Sauvage also won eleven gold medals and two silver medals at the IPC Athletics World Championships. Sauvage has a catamaran named in her honour.

Louise Sauvage

Sauvage in 1996
Personal information
Full name	Alix Louise Sauvage
Born	18 September 1973 (aged 52) Perth, Western Australia
Sport
Country	Australia
Medal record Women's wheelchair racing Representing Australia Paralympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona 100 m TW4 Gold 1992 Barcelona 200 m TW4 Gold 1992 Barcelona 400 m TW4 Gold 1996 Atlanta 400 m T53 Gold 1996 Atlanta 800 m T53 Gold 1996 Atlanta 1500 m T52-53 Gold 1996 Atlanta 5000 m T52-53 Gold 2000 Sydney 5000 m T54 Gold 2000 Sydney 1500 m T54 Silver 1992 Barcelona 800 m TW4 Silver 2000 Sydney 800 m T54 Silver 2004 Athens 400 m T54 Silver 2004 Athens 800 m T54 World Para Athletics Championships Gold 1994 Berlin 800 m T53 Gold 1994 Berlin 1500 m T53 Gold 1994 Berlin 5000 m T53 Gold 1994 Berlin Marathon T53 Gold 1998 Birmingham 800 m T55 Gold 1998 Birmingham 1500 m T55 Gold 1998 Birmingham 5000 m T55 Gold 1998 Birmingham Marathon T55 Gold 1998 Birmingham 4 x 100 m (T54-55) Gold 1998 Birmingham 4 x 400 m (T54-55) Gold 2002 Lille 800 m T54 Silver 2002 Lille 1500 m T54 Silver 2002 Lille 5000 m T54 World Championships and Games for the Disabled Gold 1990 Assen 100 m Commonwealth Games Silver 2002 Manchester 800 m IAAF World Athletics Championships Gold 1993 Women's wheelchair Gold 1995 Women's wheelchair Gold 1997 800 m Gold 2001 Women's wheelchair Boston Marathon Gold 1997 Women's wheelchair Gold 1998 Women's wheelchair Gold 1999 Women's wheelchair Gold 2001 Women's wheelchair Los Angeles Marathon Gold 1997 Women's wheelchair Silver 1995 Women's wheelchair Beppu-Ōita Marathon Gold 1996 Women's wheelchair Berlin Marathon Gold 1997 Women's wheelchair

Early life

Sauvage was born on 18 September 1973 in Perth, Western Australia. She was born with a severe spinal condition. Because of this, Sauvage only has some control over her legs.

When she was 14 years old, she had surgery on her spine after having scoliosis.

Career

At the 1992 Summer Paralympics, Sauvage won three gold medals and one silver medal.

At the 1996 Summer Paralympics, she won four gold medals.

After retiring from competitions, Sauvage started coaching kids with disabilities.

In 2001, she made her own foundation to help support kids with disabilities. One of the students that she coached was Angie Ballard.

Louise Sauvage Media

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  Action shot of Sauvage on her way to winning silver in the 800 m T54 wheelchair race at the 2000 Summer Paralympics

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  Louise Sauvage's wheelchair from the 1996 Paralympic Games

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  Sauvage lights the Paralympic flame at the 2000 Summer Paralympics

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  Sauvage shown waving to the crowd whilst on the medal podium at the 2000 Summer Paralympics

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  Australian athlete Louise Sauvage races at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games

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  78 ACPS Atlanta 1996 Track Louise Sauvage

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  As a wheelchair basketball player for the Stacks Goudcamp Bears in the WNWBL in 2013