Olivia Sayers (’04) commenced at St Catherine’s School in four year old kindergarten in 1991. She began swimming competitively at the age of eight and in the same year won a Gold Medal in her first race at the Special Olympics. She holds the record for the most Victorian Primary Schools’ Sports Association (VPSSA) medals won by a St Catherine’s student.

Olivia has represented Australia at four World Down Syndrome Swimming Championships; Ireland, 2006, Portugal 2008, Taiwan 2010 and Italy 2012. Her greatest success was in Portugal where she won five gold, one silver and one bronze medal, set four World Records and was Runner–up Swimmer of the meet. Olivia has set a total of fifteen Swimming World Records.

Olivia also represented Australia in 2012 at the INAS (for para-athletes with an intellectual disability) World Skiing Championships in Erzurum, Turkey where she came fifth in the world in both Super G and Slalom.

In 2013 Olivia was invited with her dance group to perform at the opening and closing ceremonies of the World Down Syndrome Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, and again in 2015 in Chennai, India.

Olivia has been selected to represent Australia in Alpine Skiing at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Graz, Austria.

When Olivia is not in the pool or on the slopes she enjoys going bowling, watching movies, the ballet and going out for dinner.

Updated January 2016