John Steffensen: SAS Australia star, Olympian, and family man

Sprinter John Steffensen has proved himself a worthy recruit as he continues to power through the gruelling challenges presented on SAS Australia, but who exactly is the man behind the champion track and field athlete?

Family first

Aside from his notable sporting accolades, including collecting silver and gold medals at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games - and competing on SAS Australia, of course - John’s greatest achievement is his family.

Earlier this year, the Daily Mail revealed that the Olympic sprinter had, “popped the question over dinner at Ecco Ristorante in Sydney's Drummoyne” to his longtime love, Sarah Papaellina.

The pair had reportedly been accompanied by friends including radio legend Alan Jones and boxer Jeff Fenech.

Sarah had previously spilled to Woman’s Day about how the pair first met, saying she “liked his confidence”.

“​​I spotted John having lunch with a friend and thought, ‘Oh hello!’ We were instant friends,” she said.

John was equally smitten, crediting Sarah for “accepting me for me”.

“We do things unconventionally, but with me and Sarah, it’s just real,” he said.

Dad’s the word

John and Sarah had tried for six months before they fell pregnant with their first child, Lola, with Sarah revealing the happy news to John by gifting him a watch case containing her positive pregnancy test.

“I thought I was getting a present,” explained John. “Turns out I got the biggest gift of all.”

Speaking of the moment he first laid eyes on their first child eight years ago, a usually talkative John said he was simply speechless.

“I don’t know how to put it into words,” he swooned. “It’s euphoric – like winning a gold medal at the Olympics, but a million times over.”

But Lola’s birth wasn’t without its difficulties, with Sarah struggling through a gruelling 48-hour labour.

“After such a long and painful labour, they told me I would need an emergency caesarean because the umbilical cord was wound around her neck and arm,” Sarah explained.

“I was a mess, but I was trying not to stress, for Lola’s sake. And I remember John saying, ‘Stay strong, stay strong,’ as they rushed me into theatre.”

But eventually, they welcomed their healthy baby girl into the world and were lucky enough to eventually bring two more bundles of joy into their little family, Rusty, 6, and Wolff, who is now eight months old.

“I think the greatest gift one can have is your own child – and I’m blessed to have three,” he told Daily Telegraph recently.

“It’s amazing that you can influence another human being that’s so close to you.”

But despite his own sporting prowess, John is adamant he won’t be pushing his kids into sports.

​​”I don’t even talk to them about sport,” he told the publication. “I keep them fit and they run at the park but when they’re ready they’ll come to me.

“I just support them in whatever they want to do.”

Role model

In a recent interview with the Daily Telegraph, John revealed that his drive to become an amazing athlete came from him wanting to impress his father, Russell, who immigrated from South Africa to Perth, where John was born.

“It sounds really weird, but I just grew up wanting the adulation of my father,” he said.

“I knew he loved sports so much and I watched so much with him. I loved seeing him watch his favourite team and people do well.

“And then when I first got my first taste of it, I was like, ‘oh, this is just a good feeling’. I loved to see how happy he was and I think that really drew me.”

To this day, John has maintained a fantastic relationship with his father, whom he credits for the man he has become.

“I’m blessed to have such an awesome father because without him I wouldn’t be half the man I am today,” he said.