Saya Sakakibara

By Maryanne Stuart

06 August 2024

 On behalf of the Heathcote electorate, I congratulate Helensburgh local Saya Sakakibara for winning a landmark Olympic gold medal in the women's BMX racing, Australia's first in the history of the event. Saya's journey to win this medal has not been without its obstacles. We watched in horror as she was taken away on a stretcher following a crash at the 2020 Tokyo games. After getting back on the bike and training for the 2024 Olympics, she was again met with another setback, contracting COVID-19 before she was due to race. Saya was watched by her family, including her brother Kai, who suffered a life-changing brain injury after a crash in a World Cup race in Bathurst in 2020, as she delivered the race of her life in the final to become the first Australian BMX racer to win Olympic gold. Saya performed brilliantly throughout her Olympic performance, winning all three of her quarterfinal heats and all three of Saturday's semifinal races and producing the two fastest times in qualifying in the final. I congratulate Saya. The whole local community and nation are so proud of her achievement.