It was after transferring to a Nippers Program in Coffs Harbour when Maddie McTernan first fell in love with the water. In 2014 she decided to get serious about Para-swimming, and her progress in the pool has been impressive ever since.

The 20-year-old now calls Queensland home, training under Ken Malcolm’s tutelage at St Hilda’s Aquatics Club since 2019.

Her most memorable sporting moment came when she was surprised to win two gold medals at the 2019 INAS Global Games in Brisbane.

Impressive results at both the 2019 Hancock Prospecting Australian Swimming and Age Championships (where she won eight gold medals) earned her a spot on the national team. Maddie represented Australia at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London, where she placed fifth in the women’s 100m backstroke S14.

In 2020, Maddie broke a world record in the women’s 400m freestyle S14 at the 2020 Australian Short Course …

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Date of birth
29 December 2000
Sport
Para-swimming
Past Paralympic Games

Tokyo 2020

Impairment
Intellectual Impairment
How acquired
Birth
Residence
Gold Coast, QLD
Occupation
Athlete
Started competing
2013
First competed for Australia
2019
Greatest sporting moments

Making the first final for the 100m backstroke at the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London

Heroes/role models

Jacqueline Freney, Michael Phelps and Kathleen Baker

Favourite quote
"Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts" - Winston Churchill

Disciplines

  • Sport: Para-swimming Discipline: Backstroke, Freestyle Classification: S14

Social Media

  • instagram