Jacqueline Freney

Jacqueline Rose "Jacqui" Freney (born 6 June 1992) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. At the 2012 London Games, she broke Siobhan Paton's Australian record of six gold medals at a single Games by winning her seventh gold medal in the Women's 400 m Freestyle S7. She finished the Games with eight gold medals, more than any other participant in the Games.

Biography

Jacqueline Rose Freney was born in Brisbane, Queensland with spastic diplegia cerebral palsy. She won three bronze medals at the 2008 Beijing Games in the women's 100m freestyle S8 event, 400m freestyle S8 event and 50m freestyle S8 event. In 2012 at the London Paralympic Games she won 8 gold medals in the women's 100m backstroke S7, women's 50m butterfly S7, 100m freestyle S7, 400m freestyle S7, 50m freestyle S7, 200m individual medley SM7, 4 × 100 m freestyle relay 34 pts, and the medleyrelay event. She broke Siobhan Paton's Australian record of six gold medals at a single Games by winning her seventh gold medal in the Women's 400 m Freestyle S7. In breaking the record she said "Seven, I am in heaven".

Freney lives in Skenners Head, Ballina, New South Wales, and is coached by her father Michael.

Freney was unable to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro due to a medical issue. Freney had been suffering from electromagnetic sensations triggered by strenuous training and was unable to find an answer as to why this issue occurred.

Recognition

In February 2012 Freney was named Ballina Shire's Sportsperson of the Year. She was a finalist for the 2012 Australian Paralympian of the Year, In 2012, Freney was declared Paralympian of the Year by Australia Post and this achievement was celebrated with the release of a commemorative stamp which featured the inspirational athlete. In November 2013 she was named New South Wales Young Australian of the Year for 2014. On 25 January 2014 she was named Young Australian of the Year. The following day she was also awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia "For service to sport as a gold medallist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games". In October 2014 she was inducted into the Path of Champions at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.

Freney earned her Young Australian of the Year award in 2014 by being actively involved in the community, working with Swimming Australia as a motivational speaker to help people with disabilities to reach their true potential.