BMX Olympic gold medallist Saya Sakakibara is already preparing for another huge competition year but she says having her name included on the Illawarra Olympic & Paralympic Tribute Wall is “very special”.
Saya was speaking after an official ceremony last month to unveil the newest tiles to be added to the wall in Lang Park. The event was attended by Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown and held at WIN Entertainment Centre.
Other guests of honour at the November 26 ceremony included Olympic swim champion Emma McKeon, Paralympians Telaya Blacksmith (athletics) and Luke Pople (basketball), and Olympians Brendon Smith (swimming), Ellen Perez (tennis), and Sarah Carli (athletics).
The Illawarra Tribute Wall was created in 2000 as part of a Sydney Olympic Games community initiative, and recognises athletes from five local government areas – Wollongong, Kiama, Shellharbour, Shoalhaven and Wingecarribee. So far it features the names of 164 Olympians and 15 Paralympians; all past Paralympians will be added in 2025.
Of the 22 Paris athletes whose names were unveiled last month, 10 had attended the Illawarra Academy of Sport.
Lord Mayor Tania Brown said Illawarra residents are proud of all of the athletes listed on the wall.
“Just getting to the Olympics and Paralympics is an achievement and that's what we are recognising here. It's wonderful to celebrate the medals that come with it, but just getting to the starting line and representing Australia is such an achievement and that's why I think it's wonderful that we recognise the Paralympics as well as the Olympics.”
She said young sportspeople should draw inspiration from the athletes’ accomplishments.
“I think just being able to come down here to the wall and see all of these names, I hope inspires them that their name could also be on this wall because they're from the Illawarra and we want to celebrate their future achievements.
“I think this is a wonderful tribute to everyone and I encourage people to come and have a look.”
Saya, who recently moved from Helensburgh to the Gold Coast with her family, said moving back to the Queensland tourism hot spot, where she was born, meant she has come “full circle” back to her roots.
“I was born there and I spent a lot of time there training as well, so just the weather and the way of life fits in with my lifestyle really well," Saya said.
“And it just feels like a big full circle in a circle to return home.
“It was definitely a good time for us to move to a new chapter in our lives and as a family as well. It was very sad to leave [Helensburgh], but we’re also very excited to embark on this next chapter.
“So I think we'll be full-time Gold Coasters, but I'm sure that I'll be back here.”
The Illawarra will always hold “a very special place" in her heart, she said.
“Because, you know, when I came back to Australia from Japan [at age six] I started at Southlake Illawarra BMX Club, they welcomed us with open arms.
"We were just weird little half-Japanese kids, kind of good at BMX and, yeah, we just instantly became part of a club and as well as Helensburgh; I think I started when I was in year two and didn't really know much English, but they welcomed us with open arms, we made a lot of friends, very quickly, so welcoming.
“Helensburgh was incredible for us to, you know, become Australian citizens and get my Australian accent [laughs], learn what I needed to.
“I think just growing up here and then to be recognised for my efforts – having gone to Tokyo and Paris – is very special.”
So, with myriad media commitments and public appearances every day, as well as a gruelling training and competition schedule about to kick off again in earnest, is Saya’s hectic life on track?
“No," she said, laughing. "No, it's not.
“I think the way I see it is it's just a shift in focus: I don't think when I'm racing I see it as a balance between personal and work life – it’s just one big life.
“And the personal stuff is also really important in order to feed the focus of going to the races.
“So right now my focus is making the most of this attention and the opportunities that I have on the back of something really big like this.
“I see it as an opportunity not only for myself, but for the sport of BMX and for action sports in general. So I think that I do feel a responsibility to show my face and be that spokesperson, for sure.
“I'm really very excited for that shift back into training, back to purely competition.”