Madeleine McTernan

Madeleine "Maddie" McTernan (born 29 December 2000) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She represented Australia at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and 2024 Paris Paralympics where she won relay silver medals.

Personal life McTernan was born on 29 December 2000 in Nambour, Queensland. She has an intellectual disability. She grew up in Coffs Harbour where in primary school, she attended St Francis Xavier School in Woolgoolga, New South Wales. In 2016 she moved to the Gold Coast where in high school she went to Aquinas College, Southport.

Swimming career McTernan is S14 swimmer. Her swimming started as a child and won her first medal in 2013 whilst a grade six student. In Coffs Harbour she was coached by Eugene Brogmus. She moved to St Hilda's Swim Club on the Gold Coast to further her swimming career.

At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, McTernan teamed up with Ruby Storm, Ricky Betar and Benjamin Hance in the Mixed 4 x 100 m freestyle S14. They won the silver medal with a time of 3:46.38, just under 6 seconds behind the winners, Great Britain, who set a world record. She also competed in the Women's 100 m backstroke S14 and qualified for the final, finishing fourth.

At the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships, Madeira, McTernan won two silver medals - Mixed 4 x 100 m Freestyle S14 and Mixed 4 x 100 m Medley relays. She also competed in the Women’s 200m Freestyle S14 where she finished 4th in the final. She finished 5th in the final of the Women’s 100m Backstroke S14. In the Women’s 100m Breaststroke SB14 she finished 12th and did not progress to the final.

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham, England, she finished 5th in the Women's 200 m freestyle S14. McTernan won two medals at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester, England - gold medal in the Mixed 4 x 100 m Medley relays and silver medal Mixed 4 x 100 m Freestyle S14 and finished 8th in the Women’s 200m freestyle S14 and 6th in the Women’s 100m Backstroke S14

At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, she won the silver medal in the Mixed 4 x 100 m freestyle S14 and finished fifth in the Women's 200m freestyle S14 and Women's 100 m backstroke S14.

Recognition

Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship Holder – Tier 2