Louise Sauvage is one of Australia’s most successful athletes. Louise won nine gold and four silver medals from four Paralympic Games, and three gold medals from the 800m demonstration event at three Olympic Games. She represented Australia at the 1993, 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2003 IAAF World Athletic Championships, winning gold in the 800m Wheelchair demonstration event each time.

The 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games was a career highlight for Louise who carried the Olympic Torch across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and lit the cauldron to mark the commencement of the Games. In the 800m demonstration race at the 2000 Olympics, Louise won gold before a home crowd of 110,000. She went on to win two gold medals and one silver medal at the Paralympics.

Undisputed number one female road and track racer in the world Louise won some of the world’s most prestigious road races including the Boston, Los Angeles, Berlin and Honolulu Marathons.

Louise retired from competition and turned to coaching. She was a team coach at the Beijing Paralympics, 2011 IPC Championships and 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Louise received many awards in recognition of her outstanding career including the Medal of the Order of Australia in 1993 and the Australian Sports Medal in 2000. 

Louise was the Australian Paralympian of the Year in 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1998; AIS Athlete of the Year in 1997 and 2001, Female Athlete of the Year in 2000 and World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability in 2000 at the first Laureus Sports Awards. In 2005 she was inducted into the NSW Sports Hall of Champions and two years later into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.