Video Shout-Out from Vanessa Low

Vanessa Low is an award-winning and highly successful Australian Paralympic athlete who specialises in the T42 Sprint and Long Jump events.

Born in Germany, a tragic accident at the age of 15 at a railway platform severed her left leg and forced the amputation of her right leg.

It took Vanessa two years to learn to walk again through her prostheses and soon after she turned her attention to the athletics track where her talent was apparent to see.

She competed for Germany between 2011 and 2016 and in that time established herself as one of the fastest sprinters on the globe and an exceptional long jumper by winning numerous medals at three World Championships events.

At the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, Vanessa set a new world record with a 4.93 metre jump in the T42 long jump event to win Gold as well as beating her own personal in the T42 100m sprint to win Silver.

In 2021, she competed in her third Paralympics and her first representing Australia where she again surpassed the world record (three times) in the Long Jump T63 to win her second Gold Medal.

More recently, Vanessa won bronze at the 2023 Paris World Championships in the Long Jump.

Having overcome severe adversity and numerous challenges throughout her life, Vanessa is available for public and motivational speaking engagements with groups and organisations.