Two Paralympic legends inducted in IPC Hall of Fame

Wheelchair Sports WA is proud two of its members will be inducted into the IPC Visa Hall of Fame: Nine time Paralympic gold medallist and wheelchair sports legend Louise Sauvage, and Sauvage’s first coach, Frank Ponta.

Ahead of this morning’s Opening Ceremony in London, the International Paralympic Committee announced Sauvage and Ponta would be among five former Paralympians added to the Hall of Fame.

Sauvage, who retired from wheelchair racing following the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, remains the fourth most successful international female track athlete of all time, winning 13 Paralympic medals in total and is the second most-decorated Paralympian in Australia.

Sauvage was the first woman to be inducted into the Australian Paralympic Committee’s Hall of Fame at its inauguration in 2011 and was also the first athlete with a disability added to the Australian Sport Hall of Fame.

Legendary Paralympian, Frank Ponta, who passed away last year, represented Australia at the Paralympics between 1960-1976, competing in several different sports from swimming, wheelchair basketball to pentathlon and wheelchair fencing. 

Upon retirement, Ponta made the switch to coaching, producing the next generation of Paralympic superstars including Sauvage and swimmer Priya Cooper. He also launched the career of rising wheelchair track racer, Madison de Rozario, who will compete in London.

Ponta was the driving force behind junior wheelchair sports in Western Australia and along with Sauvage was an inaugural inductee into the Australian Paralympic Committee’s Hall of Fame in 2011.

Wheelchair Sports WA CEO Gary Lees applauded the induction of both Ponta and Sauvage to the Hall of Fame. 

“Both Louise and Frank have both been pivotal to the growth of wheelchair sports in WA,” says Mr Lees.

“Frank (Ponta) was pioneer, an incredible athlete in his day but his greatest contribution came in the way of his coaching and passion for our junior members.”

“And now Louise is continuing his legacy, coaching Madison de Rozario, another athlete from Perth and one of our prime medal hopes in London.”