Tatyana McFadden
Tatyana McFadden is a multi-talented athlete and has become a serious contender on the international wheelchair racing circuit.
At the 2008 Pararlympic Games in Beijing, McFadden proved why she is one of the best wheelchair racers in the world. When the Games concluded, McFadden had four medals (three silver, one bronze) to show for her outstanding performances.
She showed no signs of relinquishing her dominance on the track when she turned in a 5-for-5 performance at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships, winning five medals in five events. Four of those five medals were gold.
At the 2006 IPC Athletics World Championships in Assen, The Netherlands, McFadden set a world record on her way to winning gold in the 100m, and also took home silver medals in the 200m and 400m. She briefly held the world record in the 200m in 2007 before Canada's Chantal Petitclerc, the previous record holder, reclaimed it. The two raced neck-and-neck in Assen, and could be a match-up to watch as we get closer to the 2008 Paralympic Games.
In 2004, McFadden emerged on the scene by winning two medals (silver - 100m; bronze - 200m) at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens. At 15, she was the youngest member of the U.S. Paralympic Track & Field Team.
McFadden is also a member of the University of Illinois' wheelchair racing and wheelchair basketball teams. She has spoken before the United States Senate Subcommittee on Adoption and was part of a film for the National Angels in Adoption Awards. She was featured on 150 million McDonald's cups in the lead-up to the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing and is an ambassador for the Hilton Family of Hotels.
McFadden has always advocated for full inclusion of all students with disabilities in schools and helped pass the Fitness and Equity Students Athletic Bill in the state of Maryland. Adopted from an orphanage in St. Petersburg, Russia, Tatyana has testified before Congress and is featured on Senator Mary Landrieu's website on adoption issues.
Major Achievements:
- 2011: Gold medal, 200m (T54), 400m (T54), 800m (T54), 1500m (T54), Bronze medal, 100m (T54) - IPC Athletics World Championships, Christchurch, New Zealand
- 2008: Silver medal, 200m T54; silver medal, 400m T54; silver medal, 800m T54; bronze medal, Women's 4 x 100m relay T53/T54 - Paralympic Games, Beijing, China
- 2007: Two gold medals, 400m, 800m - Visa Paralympic World Cup, Manchester, United Kingdom
- 2007: First place, 200m (WR) - Boiling Point Wheelchair Track Classic, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
- 2007: Two first-place finishes, 200m, 800m - U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Championships, Atlanta, Ga.
- 2007: Three second-place finishes, 200m, 400m, 800m - Meet in the Heat, Atlanta, Ga.
- 2006: Gold medal, 100m (WR); Two silver medals, 200m, 400m,) - IPC World Championships, Assen, The Netherlands
- 2005: Gold medal, 100m; Two silver medals, 400m, 800m; Bronze medal, 200m - IPC Open European National Championships, Espoo, Finland
- 2004: Silver medal, 100m; Bronze medal, 200m - Paralympic Games, Athens, Greece
- 2003: Member of U.S. Paralympics Track & Field National Team
