Amy Gillett
Encyclopedia
Amy Gillett was an Australia
n track cyclist and rower
who represented Australia
in both sports before her death in a training accident when a motorist crashed into the Australian squad of cyclists with whom she was training.
She was born Amy Safe in Adelaide
and was educated at Annesley College
. She was a world champion junior rower winning a gold medal in the coxless pairs in the Junior World Championships in 1993 and the women's single scull
in 1994. Safe came fifth in the single scull in the Nations Cup held in Paris the same year.
At 20, she was a member of the Australian women's eight at the Atlanta Olympics
. She was coached by Simon Gillett during her rowing career and later married him in January 2004 moving to Mount Helen near Ballarat. After failing to make the Australian rowing team for the Sydney Olympics
she quit the sport but was identified as a cyclist with potential.
In 2002 Gillett was first in the Individual Pursuit Australian Titles, held in Victoria. From 2002 to 2005, she was a member of the Australian Institute of Sport
elite cycling squad and represented Australia in the 2002 and 2003 Cycling World Cups. While she was not a member of the Australian cycling team for the 2004 Athens Olympics
, her results during 2005 were steadily improving including a third place in the 2005 Road Time Trial Australian Open Titles. She was rated as one of the top 100 women road cyclists at the time of her death and Australian cycling officials had identified her as a potential medallist in the 2006 Commonwealth Games
in the time trial
.
Gillett died after an accident near Zeulenroda, Germany
on 18 July 2005, when a young German driver lost control of her car and drove head first into the cycling squad. Five of Gillett's Australian team mates suffered injuries, most very serious. Katie Brown, Lorian Graham, Kate Nichols, Alexis Rhodes and Louise Yaxley were taken immediately to hospital, with Rhodes and Yaxley suffering major trauma. Graham and Brown had incurred fractures and Nichols had torn tendons requiring surgery. Gillett was undertaking a Doctorate at the University of South Australia
at the time of her death.
Simon Gillett and the Australian Cycling Federation
subsequently established the Amy Gillett Foundation which aims to:
On the first anniversary of the death of Amy, the Foundation launched a television advertisement to improve understanding between cyclists and motorists on Australian roads.
In January 2010 the Amy Gillett Bikeway was opened at Oakbank, SA. The Bikeway follows a section of the former Mount Pleasant railway line.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n track cyclist and rower
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
who represented Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in both sports before her death in a training accident when a motorist crashed into the Australian squad of cyclists with whom she was training.
She was born Amy Safe in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and was educated at Annesley College
Annesley College
Annesley College is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for girls, located in Wayville, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia....
. She was a world champion junior rower winning a gold medal in the coxless pairs in the Junior World Championships in 1993 and the women's single scull
Single scull
A single scull is a rowing boat used in the sport of competitive rowing. It is designed for a single person who propels the boat with two oars, one in each hand....
in 1994. Safe came fifth in the single scull in the Nations Cup held in Paris the same year.
At 20, she was a member of the Australian women's eight at the Atlanta Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
. She was coached by Simon Gillett during her rowing career and later married him in January 2004 moving to Mount Helen near Ballarat. After failing to make the Australian rowing team for the Sydney Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
she quit the sport but was identified as a cyclist with potential.
In 2002 Gillett was first in the Individual Pursuit Australian Titles, held in Victoria. From 2002 to 2005, she was a member of the Australian Institute of Sport
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport is a sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services. The Institute's headquarters is situated in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. The 66.0 hectare site campus is in the northern suburb of Bruce, but some of the...
elite cycling squad and represented Australia in the 2002 and 2003 Cycling World Cups. While she was not a member of the Australian cycling team for the 2004 Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, her results during 2005 were steadily improving including a third place in the 2005 Road Time Trial Australian Open Titles. She was rated as one of the top 100 women road cyclists at the time of her death and Australian cycling officials had identified her as a potential medallist in the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
in the time trial
Time trial
In many racing sports an athlete will compete in a time trial against the clock to secure the fastest time. In cycling, for example, a time trial can be a single track cycling event, or an individual or team time trial on the road, and either or both of the latter may form components of...
.
Gillett died after an accident near Zeulenroda, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
on 18 July 2005, when a young German driver lost control of her car and drove head first into the cycling squad. Five of Gillett's Australian team mates suffered injuries, most very serious. Katie Brown, Lorian Graham, Kate Nichols, Alexis Rhodes and Louise Yaxley were taken immediately to hospital, with Rhodes and Yaxley suffering major trauma. Graham and Brown had incurred fractures and Nichols had torn tendons requiring surgery. Gillett was undertaking a Doctorate at the University of South Australia
University of South Australia
The University of South Australia is a public university in the Australian state of South Australia. It was formed in 1991 with the merger of the South Australian Institute of Technology and Colleges of Advanced Education. It is the largest university in South Australia, with more than 36,000...
at the time of her death.
Simon Gillett and the Australian Cycling Federation
Australian Cycling Federation
Cycling Australia, the trading name of the Australian Cycling Federation Inc, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in Australia, and represents the interests of affiliated cycling clubs and State federations...
subsequently established the Amy Gillett Foundation which aims to:
- provide financial support for the rehabilitation of Amy's five injured team members;
- fund and administer a scholarship program for young women cyclists to support their sporting and academic endeavours
- support and promote projects aimed at road safety awareness amongst cyclists and motorists
On the first anniversary of the death of Amy, the Foundation launched a television advertisement to improve understanding between cyclists and motorists on Australian roads.
In January 2010 the Amy Gillett Bikeway was opened at Oakbank, SA. The Bikeway follows a section of the former Mount Pleasant railway line.