Australians ruled the GIO Oz Day 10km on Australia Day at The Rocks in Sydney. One of the world’s premier wheelchair races, and a staple on the racing calendar since 1990, the GIO Oz Day 10km is a marquee event that annually sees the world’s best wheelchair road racers take over the streets of the Sydney central business district as part of the official Australia Day celebrations held by the City of Sydney.
With the mantra of ‘If you can see it, you can be it’, and determined to expose the race to as many young people with a disability as possible, Wheelchair NSW engaged Mana Sports’ 360 Sport and Entertainment Division to produced the live broadcast of the event in collaboration with Gravity Media for the nation’s biggest broadcaster, the Seven Network on their 7Plus channel. Mana Head of Content Will McCloy hosted the live broadcast from Gravity Studios in Artarmon (Sydney) alongside renowned Australian Paralympians Ryley Batt and Eliza Stankovic.
In the 2023 edition, Paralympian Madison De Rozario broke clear ahead of fellow Aussie Christine Dawes across the finish line in the women’s race to make it an incredible seven in a row, while Samuel Rizzo topped the men’s podium in an upset sprint finish ahead of New Caledonia’s Pierre Fairbank. Adding further international flavour to one of the world’s premier para-athletics races, Japanese contenders Momoko Muraoka and Tomoki Ikoma rounded out their respective podiums in the open category, ahead of more than 30 para-athletes ranging in age from 16-64.
De Rozario is one of the nation’s most successful para-athletes: a two-time Paralympic gold medalist with also three silvers and a bronze, four-time gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games, winner of ten medals at the World Para Athletics Championships, and holds the world record in the women’s 800m T53 and formerly in the women’s 1500m T53/54.
Samuel Rizzo beats Pierre Fairbank across the line.
Madison De Rozario wins the 2023 GIO Oz Day 10Km Challenge.
(Photos credit: Karen Watson)
