Eliza Ault-Connell

Double amputee and international sportswoman raising awareness of Meningococcal disease

Eliza Ault-Connell has lived an incredible life. She grew up with the love of nature, health wellness and travel. She was also a keen netballer and runner. At 16, her life took a detour.  After experiencing flu-like symptoms, Eliza was rushed to the hospital in a state of septic shock. When she entered the hospital she was given less than a 2% chance of survival, put on life support and placed in a coma.

After multiple blood transfusions, doctors diagnosed Eliza with Meningococcal disease, a vaccine preventable bacterial infection. Due to the lack of circulation she had suffered, doctors had to amputate her legs below the knee.

After going through this life-altering experience, Eliza challenged herself to move on with her life and attain goals that even those who have both legs struggle to achieve.

Eliza's creativity, positive outlook and her never-give-up attitude saw her begin her international sporting carer as a runner however due to multiple injuries this door closed. Through a chance meeting, a new avenue of wheelchair racing became a reality.

Eliza's first major international competition was 2002 where she won the bronze medal in the Women's Wheelchair 800m. At the 2002 IPC world Championships, she competed in three events and won a silver medal in the Women's 400m T54 event. At the 2004 Olympic Games, she finished second in the demonstration sport of Womens 800 m. Eliza also participated in the 2004 Summer Paralympics. In 2006 she won a bronze medal in the Women's 800m T54 at the 2006 Commonwealth Games and 2006 IPC World championships she won a bronze medal in the Women's 800m T54.

She has won three consecutive Oz day 10km from 2004 to 2006.

After a 10 year hiatus out of the sport raising her 3 children, the thought of once again representing Australia in the Green and Gold in this year's Commonwealth Games was enough to bring her out of retirement- to show her children and those around her what we could truly do if we set our minds on something.

With an already successful comeback under her belt, including 2018 Commonwealth Games Marathon Silver, she is once again raising the bar to compete in the Abbot World Marathon Series and Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

Eliza is a advocate committed to raising global awareness about Meningococcal disease.

Eliza also has a background in the health industry as a personal trainer and motivational speaker for Corporations, community and schools. Her messages of resilience, adaptation, change, in her own life that can inspire and stimulate her audience to set their goals and achieve them.

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