John Maclean Australian Paralympic athlete Date of Birth: 27.05.1966 Country: Australia

Biography of John Maclean

John Alexander Maclean, born in 1966 in the Sydney suburb of Caringbah, is an Australian Paralympic athlete, swimmer, rower, and motivational speaker. He was the youngest of three children in a family of Scottish immigrants who settled in Australia in 1965. Maclean's mother, Avril, suffered from schizophrenia, and as a result, his early childhood was spent in foster care. When he was 4 years old, Avril took her own life.

Despite facing numerous challenges, Maclean grew up as a sporty child, participating in triathlons and rugby. However, in June 1988, his life took a tragic turn when he was hit by a truck while riding his bike. The accident left him with spinal, pelvic, and arm fractures, and he was later diagnosed with permanent paralysis of the lower limbs. After taking some time to come to terms with his new reality, Maclean gathered his strength and resumed training, this time in a wheelchair. By the mid-1990s, he had become one of Australia's most prominent wheelchair athletes, excelling in basketball, swimming, and rowing.

In August 1998, Maclean became the first disabled swimmer to cross the English Channel, completing the feat in 12 hours and 55 minutes. This achievement was documented in the film "Against Wind and Tide." Initially, his record was not officially recognized, and a special committee had to be formed to validate his result. Eventually, Maclean's accomplishments were acknowledged. Active in various disabled sports, he represented Australia in the 2000 Paralympic Games and won a silver medal in rowing at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. Maclean holds the distinction of being the first Australian athlete to compete in the Olympics, Paralympics, or World Championships in five different sports.

Maclean founded the "John Maclean Foundation," which supports young people in wheelchairs. Today, he is a well-known and popular motivational speaker. In 2000, Maclean was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for his significant contributions to sports, the development of disabled sports, and the encouragement of young wheelchair athletes. In the same year, he also received the Australian Sports Medal. In 2002, Maclean became the first non-American to be inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame.

In his personal life, John Maclean is married to Amanda (née Roberts), and they have a son. They reside in Penrith. Maclean has authored two memoirs, "Sucking the Marrow out of Life: The John Maclean Story" with Paul Connolly and "Full Circle: One Life, Many Lessons" with Lynne Cossare.