Madison Eyeing Second Dream Come True

Wheelchair Sports WA athlete and WAIS scholarship holder, Madison de Rozario is preparing herself for an assault on the 2012 London Paralympics.

Madison first took up wheelchair racing in October 2006 and since then she has made it her main goal to represent Australia in the London Paralympics for 2012. Her dream was realised four years early however as at 14 years of age de Rozario competed for Australia at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, in which she won a silver medal as a member of the Australian 4x100m team relay.

Impressively, de Rozario also made the final of the women’s T54 100m at Beijing to rank her among the world’s elite despite her young age.

Now 17 years of age, de Rozario has already set A-Qualifying times in the 100m, 200m and 400m events, and will hopefully add relays to her schedule for the London Paralympics.

Her current status in the world has her ranked fourth in the women’s 100m, third in the 200m and

fourth in the 400m, so she is well poised to bring home her first individual Paralympic medal.

Madison’s last two years since returning from major surgery has been littered with gold. At the 2010 IWAS World Junior Games in Switzerland she won gold medals from six events and broke junior world records in the 100m, 200m and 800m.

Earlier this year, de Rozario, broke the ten year Australian under 20’s record in the 800m with a record time of 2:00.76, and has brought home five gold medals from the five events she entered at the 2011 NSW State Championships.

She also brought home a swag of medals from the Swiss Nationals earlier this year and has in the past two years won 10 medals at Australian National Championships.

In 2008, de Rozario was named Junior Sports Star of the Year, which she says is her one of the greatest honours ever bestowed upon her. An award she also won in 2010.

Madison currently holds 24 Australian, two Oceania and three Underage World records and we will all be watching with excitement when she hits the track in London in a year’s time.

You can now follow Madi on Twitter as we are inside one year until the London Paralympics. Simply click the link:

http://twitter.com/#!/madiderozarioand follow all her progress. Or you can check out her website at www.madid.com.au

-Wheelchair Sports WA