We want to discuss the meteoric rise of Tina Rahimi and Torrie Lewis

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Tina Rahimi. Torrie Lewis.

Are these women on your radar? If not, we’re changing that today.

ICYMI: Teenage track and field athlete Torrie Lewis broke the national 100m record over the weekend - making her the fastest Australian woman EVER.

The 19-year-old, who was competing at the ACT Open and Under-20 championships in Canberra, finished the 100m in a record 11.10 seconds on Saturday. It's the fastest ever 100m time recorded here in Australia - meaning that Torrie broke records held by Melissa Breen (11.11 seconds set in 2014), and Aussie icon Raelene Boyle (11.20 set in 1968). We're calling it now: Torrie is going to become one of the biggest names in Australian sport, particularly in the lead-up to the Olympics this year. Read our full profile later on in this newsletter.

Another absolute trailblazer is Australian boxer Tina Rahimi. You may remember her from our interview with did with Tina back when she took out Bronze at the Commonwealth Games (and while she was at it, became the first ever Muslim female boxer to compete for Australia at the Games). Tina is now heading to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games, and will be the first Muslim female boxer to represent Australia at the Olympics. Tina is an absolute legend and we know this year will mark her meteoric rise - we can’t wait to witness it.

Before we leave you to rock-n-scroll your way down this newsletter, we wanted to let you know that we’re doing a callout for personal stories around female athletes / women’s sport and ACL injuries (you may have seen our callout on Insta). If you have torn your ACL playing, we want to hear from you - fill out our quick survey here.

Chat again soon,

The Missing Perspectives Team xxx

Who is Torrie Lewis, Australia's fastest-ever woman?

Torrie was born in Nottingham in the United Kingdom, and moved to Australia when she was six years old. “When my mum was 16, she moved from Switzerland to England and lived by herself. And when I was 6, my mum and I moved to Australia without ever visiting or knowing anybody in Australia," Torrie told Athletics Australia.

Torrie is proud of her heritage being Jamaican/Indian from her father, and Scottish from her mother. In 2019 she said: “I’ve never been to Jamaica, but when I was younger they joked about me running for Jamaica.” She has shared that she's inspired by Jamaican athletes Elaine Thompson and Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Fun fact: Torrie started out competing in gymnastics at just seven years old. She won the Hunter, Country and State titles before placing second at the National Club Championships. She eventually decided to concentrate on her track and field career, qualifying for the NSW State Championships in the 100m, 200m, and long jump (just casually).

Not long after, she began her meteoric rise, cementing her status as a force in Australia's track and field circuit. In 2020, Torrie relocated to Queensland and won the 100m and 200m Under 16 events at her first ever QLD School State Championships. In 2022, she won the Under 20 Australian National Championships before being selected for the Under 20 World Championships in Colombia.

One final fun fact: Torrie was accepted to study a Software Engineering course at Griffith University after achieving an ATAR score of 95.2 for her year 12 studies. Seriously, what can't this woman do!?

Read our full profile of Torrie here.

In conversation with Tamsin Colley of the ParaMatildas

Firstly, what was it like representing Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics!? Particularly as the youngest athlete on the entire team!

The experience was so incredible. I got a late call-up offering me a spot in the Paralympic team about two weeks before the Games were kicking off. I was in Year 8 at school at the time, so had a lot of work to do during the Games. I actually had to spend a lot of time during my schoolwork at the village. I was the youngest athlete on the team, and also got an opportunity to do a live interview alongside the oldest Australian Paralympian. I didn’t really feel like I fit in due to being so young, but I had so many great memories like celebrating my fourteenth birthday in the village where the Australian para-athletics team threw me a surprise party! 

In my 200m race, I unfortunately fell over right before the finish line but picked myself up and went over the line - and I think it really showed my resilience, which is what the Games is all about.

When did you start getting into soccer? 

I had played a bit growing up, recreationally and with a disability soccer team, but it wasn’t necessarily competitive. It wasn’t specifically catered to people with Cerebral Palsy like me and there was no pathway into competitive soccer, so I stopped and focused on athletics for a bit. But in 2022, the ParaMatildas team and more opportunities for female athletes with CP to play competitive soccer emerged and I was eager to have a go. 

I knew some people involved in that, so they helped point me in the right direction. Last year I signed up for the Football NSW female CP training days, which was awesome as there aren't many opportunities for people with CP to play near me. Some local soccer clubs were reluctant to take me in because of my disability but I thankfully found an inclusive club Hurlstone Park Wanderers who I’ve been enjoying playing for ever since! 

Overall, soccer has a long way to go in terms of inclusion but it is definitely improving, and I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had with it including getting to play with the ParaMatildas!

What was it like being selected for the CommBank ParaMatildas - especially as a team that's number one in the world?

It was just so amazing, I went to a selection camp early last year and I was just glad to get the opportunity to attend that. I wasn’t expecting to get into the team for the Asia-Oceania Championships but was so grateful that I did and determined to make my country proud! It was actually at Hannah Diviney’s book launch that I found out that I got selected for the team. 

I had been motivated by watching the ParaMatildas play at the 2022 IFCPF World Cup. It was great to see other people with CP like me competing and showing what people with disabilities can achieve! Now that I can be part of this team, it’s something I never take for granted. 

What was it like winning the Asia-Oceania Championship trophy?

The ParaMatildas were created in 2022, so this tournament was their first one on home soil. I was so excited and nervous going into my first international football competition, even though I had represented Australia before in athletics. The team was so welcoming and encouraging of each other and me, the sole debutant on the team. I managed to score a hat trick on debut and came away with four goals across my first two international games. Everyone played really well, and it was such a supportive environment and winning the trophy was one of the highlights of my life so far. 

What do you think the impact of the 2023 World Cup was on women's sport - and also the ParaMatildas?

The 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup had a massive impact on women’s sport! I went to a few games to see the Matildas play, and the atmosphere was so good - I felt so inspired. And it was so amazing to play with the ParaMatildas in the 2023 IFCPF Asia-Oceania tournament after the Women’s World Cup. It was great timing as everyone was still so excited to be watching football and seeing women represented in competitive football environments, which extended to those with disabilities. Young people with disabilities and their parents even came up to us saying thank you for making their kids feel seen which was really special.

Overall, 2023 was very empowering and had such a huge impact on representation of women’s sport, for those with and without disabilities. 

What should we keep an eye out for this year? What's in store for you?

This year is looking to be really exciting. I’m looking forward to watching the Olympics and have my fingers crossed for the Matildas! I also have some friends who will be competing in the Paralympics so I’m really excited to cheer them on from home. The Paralympics is such an incredible event and there's momentum growing about the event every time it’s hosted. In November, there's the 2024 IFCPF World Cup for ParaMatildas and Pararoos, and I'm hoping to be selected in the ParaMatildas team for it. Either way though, I'm looking forward to supporting the team in Spain regardless of if I’m playing or watching from home!