Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
200 metres wheelchair: 2005 - 1st, 2006 - 2nd
800 metres wheelchair: 2001 - 3rd, 2004 - 4th, 2005 - 1st, 2006 - 2nd

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Paralympics: 1996 - 100m 5th heat (19.26), 200m 6th heat (33.97); 2000 - 100m 8th (18.28), 800m DQ, 1500m 5th heat (3.47.58), 5000m 8th (12.58.44); 2004 - 800m 6th (1.52.51), 1500m 6th (3.29.50), 5000m 10th (12.50.86), marathon 9th (2:08.25)
IPC World Championships: 1998 - 100m 5th heat (19.58), 200m 4th heat (34.60), 4 x 100m 1st (1.08.22), 4 x 400m 1st (4.26.28)
Olympic Games: 2004 - 800m 7th
Commonwealth Games: 2006 - 800m 5th (1.58.50)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:

800 metres:
2000 1.57.48
2002 1.54.67
2004 1.52.51
2006 2.02.65

1500 metres:
2000 3.40.16
2002 3.38.27
2004 3.29.50

EVENTS/PERSONAL BESTS:
800m: 1.52.51 - Athens (GRE), 22/09/04
1500m: 3.29.50 - Athens (GRE), 24/09/04
5000m: 12.00.07 - Athens (GRE), 19/09/04
Marathon: 1:55.07 - 2002

RECORD(S):
World, national and allcomers T53-T55 record - 4 x 100m relay: 1.03.87 - Sydney, 29/01/99
World T53-T55 record - 4 x 400m relay: 4.26.28 - Birmingham (GBR), 12/08/98
National and allcomers T53-T55 record - 4 x 400m relay: 4.22.00 - Canberra, 1/04/98
National under-20 T54 record - 100m: 17.88 - Canberra, 16/04/99
National under-20 T54 record - 200m: 32.33 - Perth, 1/04/99
National under-20 T54 record - 400m: 1.07.53 - Perth, 1/04/99
National under-20 T54 record - 800m: 1.58.27 - Sydney, 31/10/99
National under-20 T54 record - 1500m: 4.04.21 - Sydney, 31/10/99
National under-20 T54 record - 5000m: 13.17.38 - Sydney, 30/10/99

Interesting Facts

Christie was left paraplegic after a car accident as a child and competes in the toughest wheelchair classification against many world class athletes. Her coach and husband Andrew Dawes also coaches champion Kurt Fearnley and mentored Paralympic great Louise Sauvage in the later stages of her career.

Sporting Career

DISABILITY CLASSIFICATION: T54
Wheelchair (have normal arms and hand function. Have a range of trunk function from some to normal. May have some leg function)

A brilliant junior, Christie (nee Skelton) was awarded Young Paralympian of the Year in 1996 after competing in Atlanta that year as a 16 year-old. She initially competed in the wheelchair sprints but, as her career progressed, extended her range right through to the marathon.

Two immensely successful years came in 1998 and 1999 as Christie posted Australian under-20 records for the 100m through to 5000m, all of which still stand. She also proved a very valuable relay member; a world record in the 4 x 100m in a team that included Louise Sauvage was posted in Sydney. Christie also enjoyed parallel success in the 4 x 400m and two relay gold medals came at her first IPC World Championships.

After a slightly disappointing Sydney 2000 Paralympics, which included disqualification in the 800m and a heat finish in the 5000m, Christie was selected for Athens 2004 and competed in four events, plus the 800m demonstration event at the Olympic Games. The 100m was dropped and the marathon added, a tough race in which she finished ninth.

Marathons had become part of her repertoire and Christie took on Berlin and Boston, though the 800m and 1500m remained her core distances. National titles in the 200m and 800m came in 2005 and Christie competed at her first Commonwealth Games on home soil in 2006, finishing fifth over 800m.

In 2006-07, Christie competed at the Telstra A-Series in Sydney over 100m and 400m before joining a Australian contingent that contested races in the USA, including the Cedartown 5km and Peachtree 10km.