Stuart Robert (Fadden, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Technology and Personnel) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to acknowledge the great triumph of one of the golden girls of the Gold Coast, a local resident of Helensvale and a resident of the fighting electorate of Fadden: Sally Pearson. Sally, of course, won gold with a new Olympic record time of 12.35 seconds in the hurdles, beating American Dawn Harper, with 12.37—two-hundredths of a second—and Kelly Wells, with 12.48 seconds, both personal bests. It is an outstanding result from a young girl who has worked so hard through her life. Many may not realise it, but Sally was raised by single mum Anne, who worked her guts out—worked two jobs—just to make enough money to support her daughter's athletic career. She attended Helensvale State High School, where my wife was a teacher, and was part of their excellence in sport program. It is a great program that the school runs to identify, encourage and support high-quality, high-calibre athletes.

While still in primary school and just eight years of age Sally's talents were noticed by Sharon Hannan, who remains her coach today. Sally rose to prominence in 2001, 14 years old, when she won the Australian under-20 100-metre title. She made her debut at the 2003 World Youth Championships in Canada, and won gold in the 100-metre hurdles.

At the beginning of the following athletics season after the 2010 Commonwealth Games, she became the first Australian woman ever to win three national titles at the same event since Pam Kilborn did so back in 1968 when she won the 100 metres, the 200 metres and 100-metre hurdles. In November 2011 the International Association of Athletics Federations awarded Sally Pearson the 2011 Athlete of the Year. She is the first Australian to receive this award, and she also received prize money of $98,800. I think this is fabulous from the girl who battled with her single mum so that she could run.

Coming into the 2012 London Olympics for the 100-metre hurdles she had won 32 races from a staggering 34 starts. She led the competition after round 1 heats, and led coming into the final with a semi-final time of 12.39. And, of course, she has the new Olympic record of 12.35.

Sally embodies all that is great about the human spirit and all that is great about sport, not only as an equaliser but as an opportunity to rise above your odds. It does not matter how you were born or where you were born; the circumstances you come from are not limiting—we only limit ourselves. What matters is how we finish: that is, how we run, and that is how we race—the manner and spirit in which we race. And it is the dignity and the humility in which we accept victory. I think Sally embodies all of that and more. She is truly a great Australian and worthy of special recognition and notice in the House of Representatives this morning.

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