Give the Gift of Time

For Christie Dawes, the sudden passing of her father started a year that would change her life forever.

Just 11 months later in April 1990,10-year-old Christie set off from Marmong Point on Lake Macquarie on an Easter holiday with mum Roslyn and 17-year-old sister Kylie, heading to a friend’s house in Evans Head.

At Rainbow Flat, a notorious part of the Pacific Highway near Taree, a dog ran onto the road. Christie’s mum instinctively swerved, with the wet, greasy conditions resulting in a head-on crash with another car. Christie, in the backseat wearing a lap belt, was violently thrown back and forth. Roslyn was seriously injured, and Kylie sustained multiple injuries.

Christie was taken by ambulance to Manning Base Hospital with multiple spinal fractures and serious spinal cord damage.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter was tasked to transfer Christie to Royal North Shore Hospital and in flight, Christie’s condition deteriorated, diagnosed with life threatening internal bleeding.

In the following weeks, Christie underwent multiple surgeries, remaining immobilised on her back for almost a month before beginning rehabilitation and learning how to live as a T12 paraplegic and full-time wheelchair user.

In total she spent four months in hospital, where during rehabilitation, she was introduced to wheelchair sport.

She tried various sports, but eventually settled on Wheelchair Track and Road. Today, at 44, Christie has attended seven consecutive Paralympic Games – 1996 in Atlanta, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004, Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021, winning three Paralympic medals – silver in Beijing and Rio and bronze in London.

Christie competed internationally for three decades, earning a reputation as a fierce competitor. She pursued a dual career, successfully combining sport with study and work, as well as raising a family with husband Andrew, the current Paralympic Wheelchair Track and Road Coach. She is a small business owner, keynote speaker, disability advocate, with her proudest role being a mum to her children Charlie 13 and Sophie 6 and her journey has taught her vital lessons in preparation, self-discipline, resilience and teamwork.

“I pride myself on being a leader and a positive role model, particularly for people with disabilities. My lived experience has provided a platform to connect and engage with both the community and business and sharing my Rescue Story is an opportunity to continue to do this,” Christie said.

“I was very fortunate to have had the Rescue Helicopter there for me that day. I’m grateful for the chance that I have been given and I aim to make the most of every minute, gaining new skills and experiences, continually learning and challenging myself to improve and develop.”