Arguably the world’s best female wheelchair racer of all time, Tatyana McFadden has gained tremendous reputation in and outside the Paralympic Movement. She attended the 2018 Golden Globes, been a guest on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and was among the nine athletes who are featured in the Netflix documentary 'Rising Phoenix' releasing on 26 August 2020.
With seven Paralympic titles, 15 world gold medals and over 20 major marathon wins to her name, the US athlete has become a dominant force in women’s wheelchair racing, both on the track and out on the roads.
Born with spina bifida in St Petersburg, Russia, McFadden was raised in an orphanage, where without a wheelchair, she was left to walk using her hands for the next six years. In 1994, she was adopted by Debbie McFadden, who was working as the commissioner of disabilities for the USA’s health department, moved to the USA and took up sport to help regain her health.
Ten years after moving to the States, McFadden represented her newly adopted country at the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games. At just 15 and the youngest USA squad member, she won the 100m T54 silver (16.69) and 200m T54 bronze (30.48). Two years later at the 2006 World Championships, she clinched the 100m T54 (16.31) gold and silver in the 200m (29.25) and 400m (54.25).
In Beijing, she came up against Canada’s Chantal Petitclerc, an athlete in her prime who was determined to bow out on a high at her final Paralympic Games. As a result of Petitclerc’s world record-breaking form, McFadden had to settle for silver in the 200m (28.43), 400m (53.49) and 800m T54 (1:46.95) losing out to the Canadian in each of the races. She also picked up a bronze in the 4x100m T53-54 relay (1:02.16).
At the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships in New Zealand, McFadden took top spot in the 200m (29.33), 400m (54.88), 800m (1:51.10) and 1,500m (3:36.20) – setting Championship records in the two longer distances. She also won silver in the 4x 400m relay (3:57.39) and bronze in the 100m (16.83).
In London, her third Games, she finally won Paralympic gold not once, but three times. She was at the top of the podium in the 400m (52.97), 800m (1:47.01) and in the 1,500m T54 (3:36.42). In the 100m, she secured bronze (16.15).
At the 2013 World Championships in Lyon, France, she made history winning six golds in the 100m (16.42), 200m (28.69), 400m (53.74), 800m (1:44.44), 1,500m (3:34.06) and 5,000m (12:08.07). She also broke Petitclerc’s 800m T54 world record.
In 2013, McFadden also became the first athlete ever to complete a marathon Grand Slam – winning in Boston, London, New York and Chicago, a feat she repeated in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
At the end of that year, McFadden graduated from University – she also set herself a new target to qualify for the US Nordic skiing team for the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. She not only made the team but won a silver medal in the 1km cross-country sprint.
Soon after Sochi, McFadden returned to wheelchair racing, breaking the 1,500m T54 world record to complete another successful year. She missed the 2015 World Championships but still found time to set new world records in the 400m, 800m and 1,500m T54. She also won a Laureus Sports Award.
At the 2016 Rio Games, McFadden contested a phenomenal seven events, from the 100m through to the marathon, as well as the women’s 4x400m T53/54. She medalled in all six individual races, winning four golds (400m, 800m, 1,500m, 5,000m T54) and two silvers (100m, marathon).
The 2017 season had both highs and lows for McFadden, who missed much of the early part of the year due to severe blood clots in her legs which required surgery. But when it came to winning medals, there was no stopping her.
Weeks after returning to training, McFadden lined up at the London 2017 World Championships – and won all four of the events she raced in, becoming the most successful female Para athlete of the Championships. McFadden went on to win the Chicago marathon in October – her seventh consecutive victory in the US city bringing her major marathon wins to 23 since 2009.
She was named in the '30 Under 30 Class of 2017' by the Forbes magazine.
Photo Gallery
Biography
Impairment information
Further personal information
Sport specific information
International debut
General interest
In 2020 she was inducted into the Hall of Fame by Road Runners Club of America. (tatyanamcfadden.com, 31 Dec 2020)
She was named in the '30 Under 30 Class Of 2017' by Forbes magazine. (teamusa.org, 03 Jan 2017)
She was voted Best Female Athlete of the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro by the United States Olympic Committee [USOC]. (paralympic.org, 29 Sep 2016)
She was presented with the Whang Youn Dai Achievement Award at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The honour is given to the athlete who has performed at an outstanding level and overcome adversity. (swimmingworldmagazine.com, 15 Sep 2016)
She received the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award [ESPY] for Best Female Athlete with a Disability in 2016. (baltimoresun.com, 14 Jul 2016)
She was named the 2015 Female Paralympic Athlete of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee [USOC]. (olympics.nbcsports.com, 11 Dec 2015)
She received the Juan Antonio Samaranch International Olympic Committee [IOC] Disabled Athlete award in 2015. (insidethegames.biz, 25 Aug 2015)
She was named Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability at the 2015 Laureus Sports Awards. (rio2016.org.br, 15 Apr 2015)
She was named the 2014 Female Para Athlete of the Year by USA Track and Field [USATF]. (insidethegames.biz, 21 Dec 2014)
She was one of the athletes featured in the 2020 documentary Rising Phoenix, which detailed the history of the Paralympic Movement as well as following the personal journeys of nine Para athletes, including McFadden. She also served as co-producer of the documentary. "We're trying to have a new perception of inspiration. We want to be called inspirational for the work we put in, the medals we get, or how strong we are, not just because we get out of bed every day. We have to break that stereotype." (womensrunning.com, 08 Jan 2021, 17 Jan 2021)
BLOOD CLOT CONCERNS
In November 2016 she noticed swelling around her legs. Although she was initially unconcerned, the problem worsened while she was at a training camp in California, United States of America, and she was unable to get into her racing wheelchair. She was diagnosed with blood clots, which can potentially cause pulmonary embolism and become fatal. She returned home to Maryland, where she had three operations, but she did not finally solve the problem until August 2017 after visiting a doctor that had been recommended by one of her mother's friends. "They went in and looked at the clots in more detail and realised that my blood was slowing down. Being born with spina bifida I have only one kidney and they theorised there was no open and direct route for the vein blood to travel back to my heart." (bostonmagazine.com, 12 Apr 2018)
MOVE TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
She was born paralysed from the waist down due to spina bifida, and was abandoned at an orphanage in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation. She did not have a wheelchair, so she learned to walk using her hands. At age six she was adopted by Deborah McFadden, who had visited the orphanage as part of her work as a commissioner for the US Department of Health and Human Sciences. "Lots of people come in and out of the orphanage just wanting to adopt other kids but never a child with a disability. I looked at her [Deborah] and it was just that connection. I told everyone at the orphanage that she was going to be my mum." (The More You Know YouTube channel, 22 Oct 2019; teamusa.org, 01 Jul 2016; Baltimore Sun, 08 Oct 2008)
LEGAL BATTLE
In 2006 her adoptive mother Deborah McFadden filed a lawsuit against the Howard County Board of Education in the United States of America. The board had ruled that while it was fine for Tatyana to practise and travel with her able-bodied teammates, she was limited to racing in events designated for wheelchair athletes. School officials said that allowing wheelchair racers and runners to compete at the same time could cause safety problems and change the nature of the sport. The McFaddens had sought permission for their daughter to compete only at the same time as the other runners, not directly against them. She was eventually cleared to compete in Howard County track meets. Known as 'Tatyana's Law', it was initially used in a few US states but became a national law in 2013. "We decided to file a lawsuit for no money and for no damages, but for the right for equal opportunity for people with disabilities to join high school sports. [I thought] if I didn't do it, probably it won't happen. The next person is going to be suffering. I'm not going to be in Paralympics forever but by the time I leave I want to make sure I left that legacy [in which] the doors have opened for many people." (japantimes.co.jp, 27 Nov 2019; bbc.co.uk, 12 Jul 2013; The Washington Post, 19 Apr 2006)
OTHER ACTIVITIES
She has set up the Tatyana McFadden Foundation, which is part of the New York Road Runners Team for Kids in the United States of America. The organisation aims to support young athletes with an impairment. In addition she has served on the board of directo
Results
Unit | Date | Rank |
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Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 100 m T54 | Heat 1 | 1 | ||
Women's 100 m T54 | Final Round | 2 | ||
Women's 200 m T54 | Heat 2 | 1 | ||
Women's 200 m T54 | Final Round | 3 | ||
Women's 400 m T54 | Heat 2 | 2 | ||
Women's 400 m T54 | Final Round | 5 | ||
Women's 800 m T54 | Heat 2 | 5 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 800 m T54 | Final Round | 4 | ||
Women's 800 m T54 | Heat 3 | 1 | ||
Women's 400 m T54 | Final Round | 2 | ||
Women's 400 m T54 | Heat 1 | 1 | ||
Women's 100 m T54 | Heat 1 | 1 | ||
Women's 100 m T54 | Final Round | 1 | ||
Women's 200 m T54 | Heat 2 | 1 | ||
Women's 200 m T54 | Final Round | 2 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 100 m T54 | Heat 2 | 3 | ||
Women's 100 m T54 | Final Round | 6 | ||
Women's 200 m T54 | Heat 3 | 2 | ||
Women's 200 m T54 | Final Round | 2 | ||
Women's 400 m T54 | Heat 2 | 2 | ||
Women's 400 m T54 | Final Round | 2 | ||
Women's 800 m T54 | Heat 2 | 1 | ||
Women's 800 m T54 | Final Round | 2 | ||
Women's 4x100 m T53/54 | Final Round | 3 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 100 m T54 | Heat 2 | 2011-01-22 | 3 | |
Women's 100 m T54 | Final | 2011-01-23 | 3 | |
Women's 800 m T54 | Heat 1 | 2011-01-24 | 1 | |
Women's 200 m T54 | Final | 2011-01-25 | 1 | |
Women's 800 m T54 | Final | 2011-01-25 | 1 | |
Women's 1500 m T53/54 | Heat 2 | 2011-01-26 | 1 | |
Women's 4x400 m T53/54 | Final | 2011-01-27 | 2 | |
Women's 400 m T54 | Heat 1 | 2011-01-28 | 1 | |
Women's 1500 m T53/54 | Final | 2011-01-28 | 1 | |
Women's 400 m T54 | Final | 2011-01-29 | 1 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 400 m T54 | Final Round | 2012-09-03 | 1 | |
Women's 400 m T54 | Heat 2 | 2012-09-03 | 1 | |
Women's 800 m T54 | Heat 1 | 2012-09-04 | 1 | |
Women's 800 m T54 | Final Round | 2012-09-05 | 1 | |
Women's 1500 m T54 | Heat 1 | 2012-09-06 | 3 | |
Women's 1500 m T54 | Final Round | 2012-09-07 | 1 | |
Women's 100 m T54 | Heat 2 | 2012-09-08 | 2 | |
Women's 100 m T54 | Final Round | 2012-09-08 | 3 | |
Women's Marathon T54 | Final Round | 2012-09-09 | 9 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 5000 m T54 | Semifinal 1 | 2013-07-20 | 10 | |
Women's 200 m T54 | Semifinal 2 | 2013-07-20 | 1 | |
Women's 5000 m T54 | Final 1 | 2013-07-21 | 1 | |
Women's 200 m T54 | Final 1 | 2013-07-21 | 1 | |
Women's 800 m T54 | Semifinal 2 | 2013-07-22 | 1 | |
Women's 800 m T54 | Final 1 | 2013-07-23 | 1 | |
Women's 100 m T54 | Semifinal 1 | 2013-07-24 | 2 | |
Women's 1500 m T54 | Semifinal 1 | 2013-07-24 | 2 | |
Women's 1500 m T54 | Final 1 | 2013-07-25 | 1 | |
Women's 100 m T54 | Final 1 | 2013-07-25 | 1 | |
Women's 400 m T54 | Semifinal 1 | 2013-07-26 | 1 | |
Women's 400 m T54 | Final 1 | 2013-07-27 | 1 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 12 km Sitting | Final Round | 2014-03-09 | 5 | |
Women's 1 km Sprint Sitting | Final Round | 2014-03-12 | 2 | |
4x2.5 km Mixed Relay | Final Round | 2014-03-15 | 6 | |
Women's 5 km Sitting | Final Round | 2014-03-16 | 7 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's Long Distance - Free Style Sitting | Race 1 | 2015-01-25 | 8 | |
Women's Sprint - Classic Sitting | Race 1 | 2015-01-28 | 6 | |
Women's Middle Distance - Classic Sitting | Race 1 | 2015-01-31 | 9 | |
Mixed Relay | Final | 2015-02-01 | 7 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 100 m T54 | Heat 1 | 2016-09-08 | 2 | |
Women's 100 m T54 | Final Round | 2016-09-09 | 2 | |
Women's 400 m T54 | Heat 2 | 2016-09-11 | 1 | |
Women's 400 m T54 | Final Round | 2016-09-11 | 1 | |
Women's 1500 m T54 | Heat 1 | 2016-09-12 | 1 | |
Women's 1500 m T54 | Final Round | 2016-09-13 | 1 | |
Women's 5000 m T54 | Heat 1 | 2016-09-14 | 1 | |
Women's 5000 m T54 | Final Round | 2016-09-15 | 1 | |
Women's 4x400 m T53/54 | Final Round | 2016-09-15 | 9999 | |
Women's 800 m T54 | Heat 1 | 2016-09-17 | 1 | |
Women's 800 m T54 | Final Round | 2016-09-17 | 1 | |
Women's Marathon T54 | Final Round | 2016-09-18 | 2 |
Event | Medal | Unit | Date | Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
Women's 200 m T54 | Final 1 | 2017-07-15 | 1 | |
Women's 1500 m T54 | Heat 1 | 2017-07-15 | 6 | |
Women's 400 m T54 | Heat 2 | 2017-07-16 | 1 | |
Women's 400 m T54 | Final 1 | 2017-07-17 | 1 | |
Women's 1500 m T54 | Final 1 | 2017-07-17 | 1 | |
Women's 800 m T54 | Heat 2 | 2017-07-18 | 1 | |
Women's 800 m T54 | Final 1 | 2017-07-19 | 1 |