Amy Gillett

Amy Gillett
Personal information
Birth nameAmy Elizabeth Safe
Full nameAmy Elizabeth Gillett
Born(1976-01-09)9 January 1976
Adelaide, South Australia
Died18 July 2005(2005-07-18) (aged 29)
Zeulenroda, Thuringia, Germany

Amy Elizabeth Gillett (née Safe; 9 January 1976 – 18 July 2005) was an Australian track cyclist and rower who represented Australia in both sports. She was killed when a driver crashed into the Australian squad of cyclists with whom she was training in Germany.[1] The Amy Gillett Foundation was established in order to fund road safety programs and provide scholarships for young female cyclists.

Life

Gillett was born in Adelaide[2] and was educated at Annesley College.[3] She was a world champion junior rower, winning a gold medal in the coxless pair in the Junior World Championships in 1993 and the women's single scull in 1994.[4] She came fifth in the single scull in the Nations Cup held in Paris the same year.[5]

At 20, she was a member of the Australian women's eight at the Atlanta Olympics.[2] She was coached by Simon Gillett during her rowing career and later married him in January 2004, moving to Mount Helen near Ballarat, Victoria. After failing to make the Australian rowing team for the Sydney Olympics she quit the sport[2] but was identified as a cyclist with potential. She was an Australian Institute of Sport rowing and cycling scholarship holder.[6]

In 2002, Gillett was first in the Individual Pursuit Australian Titles, held in Victoria.[7] 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.[7] 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.[7] 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.[8] Gillett was also undertaking a doctorate at the University of South Australia at the time of her death.[8]

Death

Gillett died after a collision near Zeulenroda, Thuringia, Germany, on 18 July 2005, when a young driver lost control of her car and drove head first into six members of the Australian women's cycling squad, who were preparing for the Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen stage race.[8][9][10] Five of Gillett's Australian teammates 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. The newly-qualified driver was fined €1,440 and disqualified from driving for eight months.[11]

Foundation

Simon Gillett and the Australian Cycling Federation subsequently established the Amy Gillett Foundation.[12][13]

The foundation's aims are to:[12]

  • provide financial support for the rehabilitation of Gillett'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

In 2018, the way the scholarship was awarded and operated changed, as Cycling Australia pulled direct support for the Australian development teams with whom the scholarship recipient would have normally.[14] Previously the scholarship recipient was selected by a panel from applications to the foundation, but in 2018 recipient was selected to race as a part of professional team Wiggle High5.[15][16] The Australian national development team itself had its own selection process prior to 2018.[17][18]

Wiggle Amy's Gran Fondo cycling event, which benefited the foundation, was held in September along the Great Ocean Road, between Lorne and Skenes Creek. It is one of the only cycling events in Australia held on a fully closed road.[citation needed]

The foundation closed, in early 2024 due to lack of funding. Gillett's mother, Mary Safe, started collaborating with the Get Home Safe Foundation on a campaign to educate drivers to use the "Dutch Reach" when getting out of their vehicle, to better protect cyclists. In September 2024 the foundation was rescued from liquidation after receiving a number of large donations.[13][19]

Recipients of the Amy Gillett Scholarship include:[20]

Rail trail

In January 2010, the Amy Gillett Bikeway was opened at Oakbank, South Australia.[22] The trail follows a section of the former Mount Pleasant railway line.

References

  1. ^ Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Amy Gillett". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "From Olympic rower to cycling world champion". The Age, Melbourne. 19 July 2005. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  3. ^ "Road safety program launched". Adelaide Advertiser. 14 August 2007. Archived from the original on 9 June 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  4. ^ "Australian Medallists". Rowing Australia. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  5. ^ "1994 Nations Cup— Paris France". Guerin-Foster History of Australian Rowing. Archived from the original on 12 August 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  6. ^ AIS Athletes at the Olympics Archived 6 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ a b c "Amy Gillett". Cycling Australia. Archived from the original on 29 November 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  8. ^ a b c "Aust team cyclist killed in Germany". ABC News. 19 July 2005. Archived from the original on 22 January 2011. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  9. ^ "We're on the mend, say riders". The Age, Melbourne. 24 July 2005. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
  10. ^ "Cycling ace killed while training". BBC Sport. 19 July 2005.
  11. ^ Kröner, Hedwig (7 February 2006). "AIS crash verdict: "German law was applied"". cyclingnews.com.
  12. ^ a b "About AGF". Amy Gillett Foundation. Archived from the original on 2 May 2013. Retrieved 19 January 2011.
  13. ^ a b Dandeniya, Nethma (6 April 2024). "Former Olympian Amy Gillett's mother urges drivers to use 'Dutch Reach' to protect cyclists". ABC News. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  14. ^ Giuliani, Simone (19 April 2018). "Brown awarded Amy Gillett scholarship, Wiggle High5 provides development spot". Ella CyclingTips. Archived from the original on 19 April 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  15. ^ "Grace Brown announced as 2018 Amy Gillette Cycling Scholar". Amy Gillett Foundation. 19 April 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  16. ^ de Neef, Matt (13 June 2018). "Lizzie Williams wins Amy Gillett Cycling Scholarship after 10-year hiatus". Ella CyclingTips. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  17. ^ Palmer, Tom (29 April 2015). "The extreme methods and measures at the Australian women's development team selection camp". Ella CyclingTips. Retrieved 8 May 2018.
  18. ^ Duffy, Conor; Stewart-Moore, Tom (14 May 2015). "'Hunger Games' for elite cyclists where only the toughest make the cut". 7:30 Report. ABC. Retrieved 8 May 2018.[dead link‍]
  19. ^ Le Grand, Chip (13 September 2024). "How the Amy Gillett Foundation got back on its bike". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Scholarships". Amy Gillett Foundation. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  21. ^ Dalton, Sarah (23 October 2019). "Sarah Gigante awarded 2019 Amy Gillett Scholarship". Amy Gillett Foundation. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  22. ^ "Amy Gillett Rail Trail (Stage 1) Official Opening (SA)". Railtrails Australia. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 19 July 2012.