Vanessa Low

Vanessa Low lost both of her legs and sustained head and back injuries in a tragic train accident at the age of 15, spending 2 weeks in a coma, 6 months in hospital and undergoing 9 surgeries. After being told she would never walk again, Vanessa struggled to believe in herself and her abilities. Although, her strong spirit and unwavering perseverance saw her relearning how to walk with her prostheses in two years. Vanessa’s story is not driven by adversity, but rather about taking action against all odds, centered around  choices, courage, and not losing hope.

After learning how to walk again, Vanessa soon turned to the athletics track where her unquestionable talent was discovered. Her determination to reach beyond what she was told was possible, take charge of her life and take a chance achieving the unimaginable, allowed Vanessa to create a life beyond fear, a life on her new feet. Her strong vision, resilience and perseverance, saw her competing for Germany from 2011 to 2016, where she established herself as one of the fastest sprinters in the world, and a remarkable long jumper. Vanessa won multiple medals at three World Championship events, made possible by her hard work and passionate heart.

Vanessa won gold at the 2016 Paralympics in Rio, setting a new world record in the T42 long jump event, and achieved a personal best in the T42 100 m sprint to win silver. In 2021 she competed representing Australia, in her third Paralympics, where she won her second gold medal and surpassed the world record for the third time in long jump. At the 2023 Paris World Championships, Vanessa won bronze in the long jump. Today she is still the only above knee amputee, single or double, to have a jump over the 5 m mark in long jump. Vanessa found a new purpose in her life through athletics, and alike many of us, her proudest achievements came in the face of  great adversity.

Vanessa proudly donates her time toward the FIA #3500lives road safety campaign, which is centered around the goal of reducing every day traffic casualties to zero. Having overcome severe adversity and countless challenges throughout her life, Vanessa passionately shares her story to have an influential impact on people worldwide.