By Isabel Lay

Several achievements and records for Para Athletics rising star Layla Sharp have seen her awarded with Emerging Athlete of the Month honours for February.

Making her international debut at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in the T38 200m and 400m, Sharp has leaped and challenged herself in the new discipline of long jump, breaking Australian records in the process. 

One of her standout performances came at the ACT Championships, where she rewrote the record books by breaking the 10year Australian long jump record with an outstanding 4.64m jump. 

Her rise in the new discipline has caught the eyes of all, seeing her fittingly recognised as our Emerging Athlete of the Month for February. 

Sharp described it as ‘pretty special and an absolute honour to be given this award’. 

It was her recent experience at World Championships in Delhi that set the tone and hunger for more international competitions. 

“Representing Australia has been a dream for me since childhood so to wear the Aussie kit and compete overseas for the first time felt magical,” Sharp said. 

Despite the sporting aspects of competing at international events, Sharp was also keen to highlight the personal connections she was able to make. 

“It was amazing to build friendships, and [it] honestly felt like a new world had unlocked.” 

Sharp’s journey into long jump has been a long time in the making, with the discipline on her radar for some time. Although her World Championships selection delayed the move, a coaching change to Greg Smith enabled a fresh look at her future. 

“I wanted to pursue [long jump] and see where it could take me,” she recalled. 

It was only in July of last year that Sharp received a push from another coach, Jess Williams, to compete in long jump, reinforcing her aspirations for the new discipline. 

Since October last year, her training has shifted towards a singular focus, earning selection for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games team. 

“My objective for the season was long jump as a priority and to nail a spot in the event for the Commonwealth Games. 

“Long jump has been a whirlwind of a journey, I wasn’t really sure where it would lead to but I’m so glad I gave it a shot.” 

Sharp has been thoroughly enjoying her time in long jump, describing it as ‘the excitement of it being a new event and the quick progress [she’s] making’. 

Although, she added that a PB in any particular discipline would make it her favourite. 

Sharp’s love for athletics doesn’t just come down to one thing; for her, it’s the ‘thrill of competing, travelling, getting ready and standing at the start line pre-race or more recently as well, the runway pre jump’, that makes her love the sport. 

She described running as ‘an out of body experience, really surreal’ and that she ‘constantly chases that feeling’. 

“I love the sport so much that no matter what I continue to push through. It’s a part of me.” 

Sharp looks to her younger self as form of inspiration, mentioning that she doesn’t like to compare her journey to others, as ‘everyone has their own path’. 

Sharp’s self determination and pride in her journey so far have fuelled her growing self confidence, with the athlete saying, ‘that’s who [she’s] most proud of’. 

Sharp also is passionate about uplifting the Para Athletics community around her, wanting to showcase to fellow athletes that ‘anything is possible if you put your mind to it’. 

“I love being in the position where I am to give advice on how to deal with those things so they can maximise their performance too,” she said. 

Her willingness to support others around her is a testament to the way she carries herself out on the track. 

As she continues to strive towards international events, Sharp is eyeing a podium finish at an international meet, reminding herself to trust the process as she works through refining her long jump and her sprinting. 

Having also just begun her first year of university, studying a business degree, she is quietly looking forward to seeing where that may take her. 

“I live life in the moment, so I’ll discover my calling in that respect when it’s the right time.” 

It has been a whirlwind few months for Sharp, navigating the transition into long jump and embracing the unknown, but her dedication and trust in the process have been rewarded with Commonwealth Games Australia’s Emerging Athlete of the Month for February. 

The Commonwealth Games serves as a platform for developing the future stars of Australian sport and the Emerging Athlete of the Year forms part of a refreshed Awards and Honours program developed by the CGA Heritage and Awards Committee.  

The CGA Emerging Athlete of the Year Award celebrates the next generation of Australian sport stars and those that may make an impact for Australia at major sport events in the future.  

Over the course of 2026, an athlete will be recognised each month as the Emerging Athlete of the Month and will receive a $500 contribution towards their training and competition expenses.  

Three finalists from the monthly winners will then split a $7000 cash prize, with the winner receiving $5000 and the two runners-up $1000 respectively.