Sarah Butler’s recent photo on Instagram shows her snuggling her little son with one hand and 2021 Artistic Roller Skating National Championship trophy with the other. This single mum is an unstoppable multitasker and loves it!
Images RANIERO CORBELLETTI, MADISON COLLIS
YOU STARTED SKATING AT 6. WHAT SPARKED THE INTEREST?
I grew up in Australia but my parents are from New Zealand, where they used to skate when they were young. They took me and my siblings to a roller skating session and it became our obsession straight away. For years we were skating every day after school!
YOU’VE REPRESENTED AUSTRALIA AT SEVERAL JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. WHAT WERE THEY LIKE?
It was surreal! The most amazing experience of my life. I’ve competed at four World Championships – 2012 in New Zealand, 2013 in Taipei, 2015 in Colombia and 2016 in Italy. You get to meet the best skaters in the world, everyone is
so welcoming and you just feel at home, surrounded by so many people who love this sport as much as you do.
WHY DID YOU MOVE TO NEW ZEALAND?
I actually always wanted to live in Aotearoa. Although I loved living in Australia, it never felt like home to me. I’m so grateful for every opportunity I was given there, especially the chance to represent Australia in skating, but my heart has always been here, in Aotearoa. So, when I took a break from skating in 2017, I figured it was a ‘now or never’ moment.
IS THE ROLLER SKATING SCENE HERE MUCH DIFFERENT FROM AUSTRALIA’S?
Maybe it’s because I’m older now but it seems so much more relaxed here in comparison to Australia!
YOU’VE RECENTLY BECOME A MUM. IT’S A WHOLE NEW CHAPTER IN LIFE. HOW DID IT CHANGE YOU AND YOUR LIFESTYLE?
Oh my goodness, it’s such an amazing, tiring but fulfilling chapter! My son is the best thing that has ever happened to me. He’s my whole world and I’m so grateful to be his mama. Having him really grounded me, gave me a purpose and new understanding of what is actually important. I don’t get as stressed and overwhelmed by the ‘little things’ anymore. It also gave me a new appreciation for my body and a greater understanding of just how strong and capable I really am.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE MUM DUTIES WITH ROLLER SKATING? YOU’RE NOT ONLY A COMPETING ATHLETE BUT ALSO A COACH.
It’s definitely a challenge but with a bit of creativity we get through it. I don’t have him in childcare (nothing against it, just not for me!), so I do all of my own training and lesson planning during nap-time or overnight. When he was a bit younger, I would coach while holding him but now that he’s bigger, he plays on the side of the rink whilst I coach.
Competitions are a little trickier, as I’ll be coaching for 6-8 hours first and then compete myself straight after! So my skating family and I always create a bit of a schedule and they play with him or take him for walks, so I can get through the day!
My skaters are all used to having him around. I often breastfeed him or have him napping on my shoulder while coaching.
I am very blessed to have understanding and supportive friends, skaters and parents around. I couldn’t do this without them! I always dreamed of having a baby and being able to bring him along every step of the way means so much to me.
WHO IS SARAH BUTLER WITHOUT HER ROLLER SKATES?
To be honest, I don’t even know! Having a toddler is a full-time job, especially when you’re raising him on your own. If I ever get any free time, I tend to use it to skate or to plan lessons. Other than that, I spend a lot of time on the phone with my family in Australia or my friends up in Auckland. It can be a littleoverwhelming at times but I know it won’t always
be like this. One day he’ll be older and won’t want or need me as much, so I’m trying to soak up every minute while I still can.