interview
Katrina made it to the
Australian Institute of Sport as
running through the positives
and negatives of doing so.
a netballer at the age of 18, and “A difficult question for me
it was at this elite level that she back then was why did I hate being
said “everything was exposed”. different so much?” she said.
AIS sports testing uncovered
“I knew if I was going to
however you want to look at it, in
2000, I had to find a way of getting
back to gold,” she said.
“Winning gold again in Athens is
my all-time favourite moment as an
Katrina’s weakness and led to her become a Paralympian, I had to athlete, because going from silver to
being diagnosed with cerebral own it; I had to find a way to love gold was such a process for me.
palsy. She was approached to my difference. I realised at that switch to Paralympic sport, but point it was too hard to cover it priorities right, my physical process
found herself with a psychologist up; it wasn’t working for me and it right, my mindset right. Not running a
wasn’t doing any good for others. personal best in Sydney was hard for
“I decided to pursue being a
me to deal with – your personal best
might not be gold, but that’s okay
athlete I could.” because it’s your personal best. Not
in Atlanta in 1996, Katrina won two
gold medals in the 100 metres
being at my best in Sydney, on home
soil, that was hard.
“After eight years, running across
and 200 metres, and a silver that finish line in Athens and knowing
medal in the long jump. that finally, it was my time … I still have
At Sydney in 2000, she won two
silver medals in the 100 metres and
that amazing feeling now.”
Retiring from sport after the
400 metres and a bronze in the Athens Games, Katrina was studying
200 metres. She tasted gold again to be a physiotherapist. However,
in Athens in 2004, setting a new advice from a business mentor saw her
Paralympic record in the 400 metres. establish her own business while also
Katrina said her first gold medals
in Atlanta came quickly – she had only
been in Paralympic sport for a year.
interview
“I learned a lot about getting my
Paralympian and being the best
At her first Paralympic Games
20
“After winning or losing silver,
pursuing a career in physiotherapy –
a profession she still works in today.
She said it was her ‘silver to gold’
Then, as the Paralympic movement moment on the track which led her to
grew, so too did her competition. establish her business, Silver to Gold,
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