Jacqueline Freney facts for kids
2012 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Freney
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| Nationality |  Australia |
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| Born | 6 June 1992 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
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| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Backstroke, Freestyle, Medley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Classifications | S7, SB7, SM7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Richmond Valley | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Michael Freney | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Jacqueline Rose "Jacqui" Freney OAM (born June 6, 1992) is an amazing Australian Paralympic swimmer. At the 2012 London Games, she broke an Australian record. She won her seventh gold medal in the Women's 400 m Freestyle S7. This meant she surpassed Siobhan Paton's record of six gold medals at a single Games. Jacqui finished the Games with eight gold medals. This was more than any other athlete at those Games!
Contents
Jacqueline Freney's Swimming Journey
Jacqueline Rose Freney was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. She has a condition called spastic diplegia cerebral palsy. This affects how her muscles work.
Early Paralympic Success
Jacqui started her Paralympic journey at the 2008 Beijing Games. There, she won three bronze medals:
- 100m freestyle S8 event
- 400m freestyle S8 event
- 50m freestyle S8 event
London 2012: A Golden Performance
In 2012, Jacqui competed at the London Paralympic Games. She had an incredible performance, winning eight gold medals! Her gold medals were in these events:
- 100m backstroke S7
- 50m butterfly S7
- 100m freestyle S7
- 400m freestyle S7
- 50m freestyle S7
- 200m individual medley SM7
- 4 × 100 m freestyle relay 34 pts
- 4 × 100 m medley relay
When she won her seventh gold medal in the Women's 400 m Freestyle S7, she broke an Australian record. She said, "Seven, I am in heaven!" She ended the Games with eight gold medals, becoming the most successful athlete there.
Training and Support
Jacqui lives in Skenners Head, Ballina, New South Wales. Her father, Michael, is her coach. Her grandfather, Peter Freney, also helped coach another famous Paralympic swimmer, Siobhan Paton. Jacqui's grandfather still helps her with her career. In 2008, she received a special scholarship from the Australian Institute of Sport for Paralympic swimming.
World Championships and Reclassification
At the 2010 IPC Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, Netherlands, Jacqui won two silver medals. These were in the women's 100m freestyle and 400m freestyle S8 events.
In 2011, Jacqui's classification changed from S8 to S7. This means her disability was assessed differently, placing her in a new category for competition. At the 2011 Can-Am Swimming Open, she set a new world record in the S7 400m freestyle event twice! She won a gold medal with a time of 4:59.95. She also won two silver medals in the S7 50m and 100m freestyle events at the same competition.
Missing the 2016 Games
Jacqui was unable to compete at the 2016 Summer Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. This was due to a medical issue.
Awards and Special Recognition
Jacqui has received many awards for her amazing achievements:
- In February 2012, she was named Ballina Shire's Sportsperson of the Year.
- She was a finalist for the 2012 Australian Paralympian of the Year. She then won both the best female athlete award and the top overall honour.
- Australia Post also named her Paralympian of the Year in 2012. They even released a special stamp with her picture on it!
- In November 2013, she was named New South Wales Young Australian of the Year for 2014.
- On January 25, 2014, she was named the Young Australian of the Year.
- The next day, she received a Medal of the Order of Australia. This award was for her service to sport as a gold medalist at the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
- In October 2014, she was honored at the Path of Champions at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre.
Jacqui earned her Young Australian of the Year award because she is very active in her community. She works with Swimming Australia as a motivational speaker. She helps inspire people with disabilities to achieve their best.
See also
In Spanish: Jacqueline Freney para niños
