Torita
Blake

Torita Blake has defied the odds all her life.

When she was barely a month old, she was a victim of domestic violence, and suffered severe brain injuries and a broken rib and collarbone. On her way to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane, she stopped breathing three times, and doctors broke the news to her family that she was unlikely to survive the next 48 hours. That was 23 years ago.

Today, Torita is a two-time Paralympian and one of Australia’s most promising young talents in Para-athletics.

As a proud Indigenous woman from the Dunghutti people, Torita was first inspired to play sport when Cathy Freeman won gold in the women’s 400m at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. 12 years later at the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Torita enjoyed her own ‘Cathy’ moment, making her Paralympic debut in front of tens of thousands of fans who were inspired by Torita in the same way that Cathy inspired her.

At the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, Torita looked a chance to win her first Paralympic medal. She pushed the top three fastest competitiors in the women’s 400m T38 the entire lap, but finished just outside the podium in fourth place. The fact that Torita, who also has a vision impairment, races against athletes with 20/20 vision, makes this achievement all the more impressive.

Torita achieved selection to the Australian team for the 2019 World Para-athletics Championships, but was forced to withdraw due to a lower back injury. Once she recovers, it will be full steam ahead to the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.