Coco Espie

A rising wheelchair athlete coached by Paralympic great Louise Sauvage, Coco Espie loves few things more than the Para-athletics community.

Set to compete in the 100m, 400m and 800m T34 at her first World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, Espie will complete her path to the world stage which started with seeing an ad for a Wheelchair Racing NSW come and try day while in hospital.

That day changed her life forever:

“I have always loved to go fast and when I first got into racing I could go as fast as I wanted without anyone saying ‘slow down’! It’s an incredible community of dedicated and supportive athletes working hard and sharing their experiences,” Espie said.

“That makes it a very welcoming place to be. I love to meet all the people in each competition, and be able to race against some of the best in the world is very special.”

Born with cerebral palsy, Espie is working on strengthening her technique to accommodate her right side which is weaker than her left, with no greater guide than nine-time Paralympic champion Louise Sauvage.

“My hero and idol is Louise Sauvage who is now my coach and I am very lucky to have one of our very best athletes guiding my progress,” Espie said.

“Some other heroes are Madison Derozario and  Rheed McCracken. I’ve also been lucky to have Sarah Clifton-Bligh a few years ahead of me learning and sharing her experiences, helping me understand what the possibilities are and sharing paths to progress.”

Spending her downtime doing puzzles, sudokus, reading and listening to music, Espie has already competed on international soil in Switzerland when building her experience which she hopes will carry her to the Los Angeles 2028 Paralympic Games.

“My sporting ambition is to make LA in 2028, but if I wasn’t doing that I would like to be doing something in disability awareness to helping others achieve their dreams,” Espie said.