Emily Beecroft

The teenager from Gippsland in Victoria got into swimming at a young age. A teacher suggested she join a swim club and after one of her sisters started, she followed suit. Emily is a triplet, with two sisters who she is very close to and loves hanging out with.

Her swimming took her to local meets where she raced against able-bodied kids. Emily was born with a right arm limb deficiency and deaf in her left ear. Her disability never held her back from her desire to achieve big things in sport.

She used to participate in athletics and netball but she chose swimming because it was her strongest sport and had the best pathway for people with a disability.

She competed for the first time in 2010 and after winning 10 medals at the School Sports Championships, was awarded the Sportsmanship Award in 2012.

In 2015, Emily competed in the US Para Championships in Bismarck. She was in a team of four athletes and was internationally classified at the championships. Also in 2015, Emily had her breakthrough result at the Australian Open Championships. Competing against seniors in multi-class events, she won two silver medals in the 50m and 100m butterfly.

Emily made her Paralympic debut at the Rio 2016 Games, competing in four different events. She qualified for three finals, finishing fourth in the 50m freestyle, sixth in the 100m freestyle and 6th in the 100m butterfly.

Five years later at Tokyo 2020, Emily contested in the women’s 100m freestyle S9. After finishing in seventh in the heats, she finished eighth overall in the final with a 1:04.47.

Emily looks up to Ellie Cole, the first Para-swimmer that she really knew about and researched her and her achievements. Outside of swimming and school, Emily enjoys reading – her favourite book is Hunger Games.