Paralympian Christie Dawes Looks Back on Her Journey

ABC Newcastle

Topic: Paralympic Games

Friday, 15 May 2026, at 10:24 am

Christie Dawes finishes a race at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

In short:

Paralympic athlete Christie Dawes is retiring.

Dawes won three Paralympic medals and many international marathon awards.

What's next?

Dawes will run in the Cape Town Marathon before retiring.

The Cape Town Marathon will be Christie Dawes' last professional race.

Dawes has had a long racing career, including seven Paralympic Games.

Dawes won her first individual Paralympic medal at the 2012 London games.

She won silver medals at the 2016 Rio and 2008 Beijing games.

Christie Dawes with her bronze medal at the 2012 London Paralympics.

Dawes will miss the marathon community more than the medals.

She feels fortunate to be part of an extraordinary community.

Dawes saw the strength of the community after the Boston Marathon bombings.

The community came together to support each other after the bombings.

Dawes thinks the community is strong because they support each other.

In life and in marathons, people are stronger together.

The right time

Ms Dawes considered retiring for about two years.

Her body wasn't recovering from training sessions as well as before.

As a woman in her mid-40s, her body is changing.

These changes make it harder to be an elite athlete.

Dawes is proud of how racing for disabled athletes has developed.

Christie Dawes leads racers beneath the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Early in her career, Dawes stayed in a bomb shelter for a race.

Now, she stays at the Hilton for marathons.

People should remember how far they've come, not just what's left to do.

No one sleeps in bomb shelters for races anymore.

Many athletes, coaches, and organizers have helped make racing more equal.

Dawes is grateful to have been part of this change.

Next move

Dawes and her husband are namesakes for the Fearnley-Dawes Athletic Track.

Dawes doesn't think she'll be a coach in the future.

Being a great athlete doesn't mean you'll be a great coach.

Dawes wants athletes to plan for their future.

Athletes should have a backup plan, not just focus on competing.

Sport can be unpredictable, and athletes need to be prepared.

Always have a plan B to balance your life.

Christie Dawes co-hosts ABC NSW Mornings on Fridays.

ABC Newcastle has local news.

Friday, 15 May 2026, at 10:24 am

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