Isis Holt (born 3 July 2001) is an Australian Paralympic athlete competing in T35 sprint events. She is affected by the condition cerebral palsy. Holt won gold medals in the 100 m and 200 m at the 2015 and 2017 World Para Athletics Championships. At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, she won two silver medals and a bronze medal and 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, two silver medals.[1][2][3]

Isis Holt
2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait
Personal information
NationalityAustralian
Born (2001-07-03) 3 July 2001 (age 22)
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Sport
ClubOld Xaverians Athletics Club
Medal record
Women's athletics T35
Representing  Australia
Paralympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 100 m T35
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 200 m T35
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo 100 m T35
Silver medal – second place 2020 Tokyo 200 m T35
Bronze medal – third place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 4×100 m relay T35-38
IPC Athletics World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2015 Doha 100 m T35
Gold medal – first place 2015 Doha 200 m T35
Gold medal – first place 2017 London 100 m T35
Gold medal – first place 2017 London 200 m T35
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast 100 m T35

Personal life edit

Holt was born on 3 July 2001 with cerebral palsy, which affects both sides of her body.[4] She attended Brunswick Secondary College. She previously attended Melbourne Girls Grammar.

Athletics edit

Holt took up athletics in 2014.[5][6] At the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha in her first major overseas competition, she won gold medals in world record time in two events: Women's 100m T35 (13.63 (w: +2.0) world record) and the Women's 200m T35 (28.57 (w: +1.5 world record).[6][7] At the IPC Athletics Grand Prix in Canberra on 7 February 2016, she smashed her 200m T35 world record by running 28.38 (w: +0.2).[8] At the 2016 Australian Athletics Championships in Sydney, she broke world records in winning the 100m and 200m Ambulant events.

At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, she won silver medals in the Women's 100 m T35 and Women's 200 m T25 and a bronze medal in the Women's 4 × 100 m Relay T35-38.[1]

At the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London, she won gold medals in the Women's 100 m T35 and Women's 200 m T35.[9] In winning the 100 m, she broke the world record with a time of 13.43. This time broke the world record she previously held by 0.14 seconds[10] By winning the 100 m and 200 m, Holt defended titles won at the 2015 World Championships.[10] Two weeks prior to leaving for the World Championships, she was hospitalised with tonsillitis.[11]

After the Rio Paralympics, Holt moved to Queensland to be coached by Paul Pearce.[12] At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Queensland, she won the gold medal in the Women's 100m T35.

At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Holt won the silver medal in the Women's 100 m T35 in a personal best time of 13.13. She also won silver in the Women's 200 m T35, setting a new Oceania record with a run of 27.94.[13]

World records edit

Distance Time Location Date
Women's 200m T35 29.49 Brisbane 29 March 2015[14]
Women's 100m T35 13.63 (w: +2.0) Doha 29 October 2015[6]
Women's 200m T35 28.57 (w: +1.5) Doha 24 October 2015[7]
Women's 200m T35 28.38 (w: +0.2) Canberra 7 February 2016[8]
Women's 100m T35 13.57 (w: -0.8) Sydney 1 April 2016[15]
Women's 200m T35 28.30 (w: +1.1) Sydney 3 April 2016[16]
Women's 100m T35 13.43 (+0.9) London 19 July 2017[10]
Women's 100m T35 13.37 (+0.8) Gold Coast, Queensland 17 February 2018[17]
Women's 100m T35 13.36 (+0.5) Sydney 17 March 2018[18]

Her philosophy is "My ability is bigger than my disability."[6] She was coached in Melbourne by Nick Wall for 2016 Rio Paralympics and by Paul Pearce in Brisbane for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.[5]

In November 2022, Holt announced her retirement to pursue a career in psychology.[19]

Recognition edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Isis Holt". Rio Paralympics Official site. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  2. ^ "Australian Paralympic Athletics Team announced". Australian Paralympic Committee News, 2 August 2016. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  3. ^ "Para-athletics Team Set To 'Do What Australia Does Best' At Tokyo 2020". Paralympics Australia. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  4. ^ "Isis Holt". Victorian Institute of Sport. Retrieved 24 October 2015.[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ a b "Isis Holt". International Paralympic Committee Athletics profiles. Archived from the original on 10 December 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
  6. ^ a b c d "Doha 2015". Athletics Australia website. 25 October 2015. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
  7. ^ a b "Doha 2015". Athletics Australia. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 29 October 2015.
  8. ^ a b "IPC Grand Prix". Athletics Australia News, 7 February 2016. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016. Retrieved 7 February 2016.
  9. ^ Ryner, Sascha. "Holt surges to gold once again". Athletics Australia News, 17 July 2017. Archived from the original on 24 July 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  10. ^ a b c "Holt defends 100m title, breaks own record". SBS website. Archived from the original on 8 September 2017. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  11. ^ Ryner, Sascha. "Holt storms home in world record time". Athletics Australia News, 20 July 2017. Archived from the original on 24 July 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2017.
  12. ^ "Isis Holt Back On Track". Athletics Australia. 25 November 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Athletics - HOLT Isis - Tokyo 2020 Paralympics". Tokyo2020.org. Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  14. ^ "WOMEN'S 200M T35" (PDF). Championships Doha Results Book. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  15. ^ "#AAC16". Athletics Australia News, April 2016. Archived from the original on 14 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  16. ^ "Women 200 Metre Ambulant". Athletics Australia Results. Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 4 April 2016.
  17. ^ "#AthleticsGold: Cool Pearson wins ninth Australian 100m hurdles title". Athletics Australia website. Archived from the original on 18 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  18. ^ "Report: 2018 Australian Junior Championships Day 4". Athletics Australia website. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  19. ^ "From School Sport To World Glory | Holt Announces Retirement". Athletics Australia. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  20. ^ "The Best Of The Best Honoured At The Victorian Sport Awards". Premier Victoria Website. Archived from the original on 15 March 2016. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
  21. ^ "Athletics Gala". Atjhletics Australia News, 10 April 2016. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
  22. ^ "Paralympic medallist Isis Holt has gone back-to-back and won the Female Para-Athlete of the Year for 2016". Athletics Australia twitter. Archived from the original on 19 April 2017. Retrieved 3 April 2017.
  23. ^ "Winners announced for Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards". Disability Sport & Recreation Victoria. 18 August 2017. Archived from the original on 8 December 2017. Retrieved 8 December 2017.
  24. ^ "Cooke earns Top Award". Victorian Institute of Sport website. Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  25. ^ "Our best athletes honoured at Athletics Australia Gala Dinner". Athletics Australia website. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 18 February 2018.

External links edit