Sonography graduate Aimee races to spot in Australian Commonwealth Games team
By Greg Chapman
Aimee Fisher is in a race of determination, not only becoming a fully trained sonographer through CQUniversity, but also earning a spot in the 2026 Australian Commonwealth Games team.
Aimee will represent Australia in the Women’s 400m T54 wheelchair race at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland in July – an achievement she’s immensely proud of.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games are a special opportunity for the para-athletes, as unlike World Championships and Olympics/Paralympics it’s the only time para-athletes compete at the same time as the able-bodied athletes.
“I am extremely honoured to have earned the privilege to wear the green and gold for Australia for the first time and very excited about competing and the experience,” she said.
“Sport has always been a big part of my life and as a young girl I always had two dreams – to wear the green and gold and pursue a career in medical imaging. It’s very special to be able to see both of those dreams through.”
After her spinal cord injury, Aimee was no longer able to continue as a gymnast, but this didn’t diminish her desire to become an athlete.
“(Australian Para Athlete) Christie Dawes had spoken about para-athletics at my school about a month before my injury and through connections I made whilst in rehab, I linked with Wheelchair Sports NSW and attended a mentoring clinic as part of the Summer Down Under series in 2018,” she said.
“Six weeks to the day after my injury I was in a race chair for the first time with the help of Louise Sauvage and Kurt Fearnley and I instantly loved feeling like myself again and the freedom it gave me, along with the new community of para-athletes I had discovered.”
While she was pursuing her para-athlete dreams, Aimee also kept her medical aspirations on track.
“Growing up, I always aspired to become a diagnostic radiographer, initially with a particular interest in X-ray. After acquiring my spinal cord injury my interest moved toward sonography,” she said.
“As a patient in the hospital, I underwent several different scans, and I realised that a career in ultrasound may be better suited to my new situation. While I’m sure I would have found ways to adapt taking an X-ray or working with MRI/CT, I saw my capability matched in the skill of the sonographers.
“I was still physically able to do what they do, and the combination of hands on practical whilst studying and interpreting a scan and applying skills and knowledge in real time to problem solve drew me to study sonography.”
The online nature of CQU’s sonography course meant Aimee could follow both passions in parallel.
“The combination of online and on campus learning was really conducive to balancing study and training. Whilst at uni, I maintained a balance by setting a routine – generally I trained in the morning, and then had time throughout the day to study online, or when I had on campus classes I planned my training around those,” she said.
“While I was on clinical placement my routine became very similar to how I now balance my training and employment – sometimes training early in the morning before work but mostly getting my training sessions in at night after work and also on the weekend.”
Aimee said she received support from CQU’s Inclusion and Accessibility team and the Elite Athlete program.
“In addition to their support surrounding my accessibility needs and adapting sonography for a wheelchair user, I was also supported in my sporting pursuits by my heads of course and tutors, as well as my supervisors on clinical placement, who enabled me to continue to meet the requirements of my course whilst travelling to attend certain competitions,” she said.
“I’ve sat online exams in Switzerland, completed multiple practical exams on the same day soon after returning home and written many assignments and study notes in cars or on planes.”
Since completing her sonography degree, Aimee is now employed for Hunter Imaging as a Senior Sonographer.
“Sonography is challenging for good reason, but it is an extremely rewarding and engaging career. You will be constantly learning new things, evolving and adapting your skills to have a direct impact on your patients’ lives through your imaging, interpretation and diagnosis, and the time you spend interacting with your patients,” she said.
The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow from 23 July to 2 August.
“Training is going well and we have a few weeks left of training blocks at our usual intensity before tapering off leading into the games,” she said.
“There is a lot of planning and preparation happening behind the scenes to ensure both myself and my equipment are in the best form we can be when I take to the start line at the Commonwealth Games.”
