Sarah Tait facts for kids
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| Birth name | Sarah Anne Outhwaite | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 23 January 1983 Perth, Western Australia |
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| Died | 3 March 2016 (aged 33) Melbourne, Victoria |
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| Height | 180 cm | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 70 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse(s) | Bill Tait | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country | Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Rowing | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Coxless pair (W2-) Eight (W8+) |
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| Club | Swan River Rowing Club Mercantile Rowing Club |
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| Achievements and titles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Olympic finals | Beijing 2008 W8+ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Sarah Anne Tait (born Outhwaite; 23 January 1983 – 3 March 2016) was an amazing Australian rower. She was a national and world champion, and she competed in three Olympic Games. Sarah even won an Olympic medal! She made history as the first mom to row for Australia at the Olympics. She returned to the sport after her daughter was born.
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Becoming a Rower
Sarah Tait was born in Perth, Western Australia. She was one of four children. She went to school at St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls in Perth. Sarah started rowing when she was 14 years old in 1997. Her first big win was in 2000, when she was 17. She won a silver medal in the junior women's four at the World Junior Rowing Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.
Rowing for Clubs and State
Sarah started her senior rowing career with the Swan River Rowing Club in Perth. Later, she joined the Mercantile Rowing Club in Melbourne. She often represented Western Australia in the senior women's eights. This was for the Queen's Cup at the Australian Rowing Championships. She competed nine times between 2001 and 2007. In 2012, she was the leader of that team.
Sarah also won national titles. In 2005, she won a national title in the coxless pair with Natalie Beal. She also competed in the coxless four and the women's eight.
Olympic and World Champion
Sarah Tait competed in the Summer Olympics three times. She was part of the women's eights team in 2004 and 2008. In 2012, she competed in the women's coxless pair at the London Olympic Games. There, she won a silver medal with her partner, Kate Hornsey.
Winning an Olympic Medal
In their Olympic race, Sarah and Kate were in fourth place at the 500-meter mark. They moved up to third place by 1000 meters. In the final 500 meters, they passed the New Zealand team. They finished second, right behind the British team.
World Championship Success
Sarah won her first world championship in 2005. This was with the Australian women's eight team at the 2005 World Rowing Championships in Gifu, Japan. At the same event, she also won a silver medal in a coxless pair with Natalie Bale. Six years later, in 2011, she won a bronze medal. This was in a coxless pair with Kate Hornsey at the 2011 World Rowing Championships in Lake Bled.
Leading the Team
Sarah was chosen as the captain of the Australian women's rowing team. She led the team at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. She was also captain at the 2010 and 2011 World Rowing Championships.
Balancing Family and Sport
After the 2008 Olympics, Sarah became pregnant with her first child. She was determined to compete in the 2012 Olympics. So, she kept training until the last three weeks of her pregnancy. She returned to training just five months after giving birth. Around this time, Rowing Australia changed its rules. They made it easier for children to visit their parents during training and competitions. Many people believe Sarah inspired this important change.
Retirement and Legacy
Sarah Tait announced she was retiring from rowing on 26 February 2014. She had been diagnosed with cervical cancer after her second child was born. She tried to return to rowing after treatment, but doctors advised her to stop.
Sarah was married to Bill Tait, who was also a national rowing coach. Her father, Simon Outhwaite, played Australian rules football. Sarah Tait passed away on 3 March 2016, in Melbourne, Victoria, at the age of 33. She had been battling cancer since 2013. Sarah is remembered as an inspiring athlete and a pioneer for mothers in sport.
