Athletics: Australian representative Christie Dawes flying solo at Paralympic Games in Tokyo but support back on homefront in Merewether

This includes most of her previous Paralympic appearances.

But in Tokyo on Sunday, representing Australia at her seventh Games, cheers will come from back on the homefront amid the global coronavirus pandemic.

Coach and husband Andrew will be watching the women's T54 marathon from Merewether along with their two children - 10-year-old son Charlie and three-year-old daughter Sophie.

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"Over the last few years since Soph has been around, obviously not a Paralympics, she [Christie] has travelled a lot on her own for major marathons," Andrew told the Newcastle Herald.

"When we only had Charlie we'd basically pack up and travel together and prior to that it was just us two [married in between Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004].

"So more recently it has probably been good practice for COVID, I've stayed at home with the kids and she's gone off to marathons on her own. It actually means she's a bit better prepared.

"They [the kids] will be excited. They'll be less worried about the race and just like seeing their mum.

"We've got a few streamers to put out and we'll see how they go. Because it goes for an hour and a half we might watch the start and have to round them up from the backyard for the finish."

In terms of the event itself, Andrew reckons Christie is "probably in the best shape of her life".

However, like many in the field, the 41-year-old arrives with minimal race fitness having last completed a 42.2 kilometre course at international level around 18 months ago.

Outside pushing for a highest-possible finish, she will also use the Paralympics as a chance to post a qualifying time ahead of next year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The wheelchair marathon looks set to continue at the Commonwealth Games after debuting on the Gold Coast in 2018. She didn't compete in that event.

"She just wants to go as fast as she can [in Tokyo] and wants to get in maybe top six or top eight with mindfulness of the Commonwealth Games," Andrew said.

"Using this time as qualification for that next year."

World Championships follow in Japan in 2022, but the wheelchair marathon is not part of the program.

It remains unclear what competition will proceed over the next year in relation to COVID-19 restrictions.

The upcoming Paralympic course in Tokyo is predominately flat, however, features a slight change in tradition. Not only finishing in the main stadium, but also starting on the track.

Christie will be joined in the endurance race by fellow Australian representatives Madison de Rozario and Eliza Ault-Connell.

The women's T54 marathon gets underway at 7:40am (AEST) on Sunday.

In the meantime, Newcastle-based training partner Rheed McCracken has reset his sights on the men's T34 800m in Tokyo.

McCracken will contest heat two on Friday (12:36pm), up against Tunisian rival Walid Ktila, with the top three automatically qualifying for Saturday's final.

It comes after Ktila and McCracken finished one-two respectively in the men's T34 100m showdown on Monday, making it the same result for three straight Paralympics.

Luke Bailey missed the final of the men's T54 100m on Wednesday, finishing fifth in his heat with a time of 14.55s.

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