Within the surprising sporting life of amputated mother Ali France after she had overthrown Peter Dutton in a historical election win

Ali France Never let her handicap decide what she can or cannot do.

On Saturday, Mrs. France immersed the opposition leader Peter Dutton In his long -held chair of Dickson, in BrisbaneWest, with the opposition leader who admits the defeat in a graceful phone call at around 9.30 p.m.

Although she did not defeat him in the 2019 and 2022 elections, she changed Dickson to the most marginal conservative seat of the Sunshine State at the last poll, with only 3,360 votes that separate her from victory.

Mr. Dutton had held the seat of Dickson for 24 years since he defeated Cheryl Kernot in 2001.

Miss France, 49, lost her leg in May 2011, waiting with her four -year -old son in a parking lot in Ashgrove.

An older man lost control of his car at Ashgrove’s Highpoint Plaza and hit the mother who pushed her son into a pram at the time and crashed her against another car.

Milliseconds Before the car hit her, she tried to push her son Zac, who was in the pram, out of the way of Harm.

The collision broke an artery in her left leg that led to the loss of the limb after numerous operations.

Miss France could not walk for more than two years, but found comfort in a new sport – outrigger canoeing.

She then participated in the World Championships in 2016 as a member of the Australian No Limits team and claimed gold in the (12-person) V12 500m sprint in the Paracanoe category and the V6 500m.

“It has been a long way,” Miss France said News Corp At that time.

‘(Canoeing) is very therapeutic. It has given me a focus and something to strive for. It focuses your mind more on what you can do instead of what you can’t do.

‘I trained so hard because I wanted to learn my two sons that whatever happens in life, you have to pick yourself up and strive to be the best person you can be.

‘The last five years has been a real struggle for me and my family and it has only been the last six months that I felt at ease with my body and my future. This sport helped me to do that.

‘If something like (the accident) happens, you want to go back to your old life and it takes a lot to change your way of thinking.

“Now I am happy with my life.”

Tragically enough, Miss France would lose her eldest son Henry to Leukemia in February 2024.

Henry completed his HSC when he was diagnosed with the disease in November 2022 and spent most of the next 18 months in the hospital.

“Henry did everything he had to do to be a survivor to stay with us,” Mrs. France revealed on social media last March

“Our health workers did everything they could, but all love and medicine in the world was not enough.”

Mrs. France said that every day because she lost her son, had felt for a year.

‘He was loudly (in the best way), so funny, full of hope and so loving. I hurt him to tell him “love your mother” again, “she said.

“He saw his friends go to school, to the university and jobs from his hospital bed and encouraged them. He just accepted what was before him – he was the definition of courage. ‘

Mrs. France added that her son was Sportmad, everything from cricket to football to NRL.

‘His glass always flowed over from life and energy. He was a loyal friend, he always said sorry, he had an opinion about everything, he never stopped laughing and he moved with great speed and enthusiasm that sometimes put him into trouble, “she said.

Mrs. France also lost her ex-husband Clive to cancer in September 2023.

Henry had fought against cancer at the same time and was transported by ambulance to say goodbye to his father.

“We were all broken. He [Clive] Held for Henry long enough to recover enough to spend more time with his father, in another hospital, “said Mrs. France.

Mrs. France said that Zac had been her saving grace when she had trouble tackling both her husband and a son in a period of six months.

“At the moment it is raw, brutal destruction, but I trust that we are shifting to a space where we focus more on honoring Henry,” she said.

“I would do everything for more time with my Henry.”