Sarah Dally - Cycling

Sarah, 20 years of age, relocated to Adelaide from Mount Gambier in 2023 to chase her sporting dreams as a Track Endurance Cyclist. Relatively new to Cycling, Sarah excelled at numerous sports throughout high school however it wasn’t until she reached Year 10 that she found her niche. After being identified in a SASI Talent Search, Sarah took up the sport of Cycling at age 16 with the Limestone Coast Regional Sporting Academy. Unfortunately, her progression through the sport was interrupted due to the Covid-19 Pandemic however, Sarah successfully competed at the 2022 National Championships, winning silver in the Teams Pursuit and 4^th in the Individual Pursuit. She also went on to represent Australia in the Oceania Games, placing 4^th in both the Time Trial and Individual Pursuit events.

Outside of sport, Sarah is undertaking an Honours Degree in Cognitive Neuroscience as well as working with both the Country Education Partnership to support rural education and the Little Heroes Foundation, supporting children’s mental and physical health.

As previously a country-based athlete, Sarah is passionate about giving back to her community and encouraging kids to participate in sport not only for the physical benefits, but also for the lifelong lessons and resilience it teaches you. Sarah hopes to use her platform as an athlete to inspire other Country kids to find their purpose and chase their dreams.

Questions

The best thing about being a SASI Athlete:

The incredible support you receive from a range of allied health professionals who not only want the best for you as an athlete, but also as person.

My favourite food to fuel me as an Athlete:

A Burrito Bowl or anything with potatoes!

My favourite movie:

I don’t have a favourite movie, but I love to watch episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, McLeod’s Daughters and Bewitched!

My favourite colours:

Pastel blue, green and pink.

My sporting hero and why:

Anna Meares: Anna’s dedication to reaching the epitome of her sport as well as her resilience in the face of adversity is why she is regarded as Australia’s greatest Female Track Sprinter of all time. I am also inspired by her community involvement and willingness to share her journey, experiences, and learnings with others.

My favourite possession:

Family photos.

The sporting activity I most like performing:

The 3000m Individual Pursuit- it’s just you against the clock!

If I wasn’t doing my current sport I would like to be:

Travelling the world!

The most important things in life:

Surrounding yourself with good people and finding the things that make you happy!

My ambassador activity tip:

Find a form of movement that you love (it’s okay if it takes you a while to find what’s right for you); surround yourself with people with likeminded values; set an achievable goal that inspires you to get up every morning!

My favourite way to keep active:

If I’m not riding my bike, I love to spend time in the Ocean or doing Reformer Pilates!

The sport I like watching the most:

I love the atmosphere at AFL games, especially when I’m watching with friends and family!

What sporting success looks like:

Sporting success is having the passion to wake up every morning to do something that you love; it’s having the drive to discover your own limits each day that put you closer towards your dreams; its connecting with people around the world and enjoying the crazy journey that you’re on no matter the result!