KIARA REDDINGIUS
Olympic Winter Games Attended
BIOGRAPHY
Kiara Reddingius, with her teammate Bree Walker, landed herself a long desired Olympic debut after two top-10 finishes in World Cup races in December 2021 and January 2022.
Those performances, both at Winterberg in Germany, followed three top-20 finishes at Innsbruck, Altenberg and Sigulda. It was a sensational start in Bobsled as a brakewoman in the two-woman event for this former top-level heptathlete, who earned a silver medal at three consecutive Australian Athletics Championships in the gruelling seven-event competition. Her pursuit of glory in track and field has led Reddingius to a wide variety of employment to fund her passion. She grew up in the remote Western Australian goldfields town of Leonora, and returned to work in the Kalgoorlie mines during breaks in university studies. Working the 13 days on, one day off routine for a couple of months provided some of the financial support needed to live in Perth. Reddingius also did track work, exercising race horses, while she finished her studies. She is also a high school relief teacher filling contracts for women on maternity leave. While the pandemic played havoc with competition and training schedules, Reddingius kept herself fit. A late bloomer to Athletics, at age 21, she transitioned to winter sports and Bobsleigh at 29. Reddingius made her debut for Australia partnering Ashleigh Werner at the IBSF World Cup in November 2021 and finished 19th at Innsbruck. At Beijing 2022 Reddingius and Walker combined to finish 16th in the two-woman bobsleigh. The pair ended up less than half a second outside the top 10 and were just short of Australia's best ever result in the discipline (14th), set by Astrid Loch-Wilkinson and Kylie Reed at Torino 2006. Reddingius and Walker were a relatively inexperienced combination, as their Beijing 2022 performance was only their fourth race together. She has a Bachelor of Science in conservation and wildlife biology, a Minor in mathematical modelling, and a Graduate Diploma in secondary maths/science teaching. After a break from the sport in 2022-2023, Reddingius returned as brakewoman for the 2023-2024 season with pilot Bree Walker in the two-woman. The pair had the greatest ever season in the two-woman discipline with top-10 finishes in all but one World Cup event, with the highlight being an Australian best fourth place World Cup finish on the Igls track in Innsbruck, Austria, and fifth place performances in Lillehammer, Norway, and Sigulda Austria. Walker and Reddingius finished the season ranked a personal best sixth on the two-woman standings. At the 2024 World Championships in Winterberg, Germany, Walker and Reddingius had another best ever result for Australia at the prestigious event, finishing in fifth place. Q & A
Name
Kiara Reddingius Place of Birth: Perth but lived in a tiny regional town called Leonora Current place of residence: Gold Coast Childhood Ambition: To be a vet Proudest Moment: Making the Olympics, starting my own business I began this sport .... During the covid lockdowns as an opportunity trial and compete as all the track and field meets in Melbourne were cancelled Participation in other sports: 3x National silver medalist in the Heptathlon Favourite overseas competition and why: I really like Igls, Austria. We have had our highest World Cup placing there and the scenery is so beautiful When I am not training/competing I am: Working as a Mindset coach/ psychotherapist Highest level of education achieved: Bachelor of science/ graduate diploma education LINKS |
INDIVIDUAL ATHLETES
INDIVIDUAL ATHLETES |
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