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Isis Holt will switch her focus from sprinting to psychology after calling time on a glittering career which included five Paralympic medals, four world titles and Commonwealth gold on the Gold Coast.
The Australian T35 sprinter also smashed nine world records in an elite-level career that really took off as she entered her teens.
«I’m really excited to explore what my career could look like out of sport,» the 21-year-old Holt said.
«Psychology has always been something that I’ve been fascinated by and that comes from the mental toughness and resilience that has a huge place in sport.
«Having been put onto high performance teams at the age of 14, I had to grow up quickly and learn those skills of being able to be resilient, go with the flow and essentially, build my mental toolbox.»
Holt broke her first world record in 2015, before going on to win the 100m-200m double — both in world record time — later that year at the world para athletics championships aged just 15.
She did the double again two years later in London.
Holt, who lives with cerebral palsy, also finished on the podium in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay on her Paralympics debut at the 2016 Rio Games.
After winning yet another gold medal in the T35 100m on home soil at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, she took an 18-month break from track and field to finish high school, before returning in 2020 under the tutelage of new coach Paul Pearce.
Holt yet again bettered the 100m world record by stopping the clock at 13.13 seconds last year at the Tokyo Paralympics where she finished second behind China’s Zhou Xia (13.00).
«I didn’t grow up thinking I wanted to be a Paralympian, but I definitely felt I had very big shoes to fill when I found myself there, and it was a learning curve for me for the first few years,» Holt said.
«After a break, I came back to the track with a different perspective.
«As much as I was chasing gold and the world records, I wanted to feel like I could run the best race I could run.
«I knew I wasn’t going to stop until I felt that, and after my 100m in Tokyo, I realised I was at peace with what I had done.»
HOLT’S CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Paralympics
Rio 2016
Silver — 100m and 200m T35
Bronze — 4x100m T35-38
Tokyo 2021
Silver — 100m and 200m T35
World para athletics championships
Doha 2015
Gold — 100m and 200m T34
London 2017
Gold — 100m and 200m T35
Commonwealth Game
Gold Coast 2018
Gold — 100m T35.