Tatyana McFadden facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Tatyana McFadden

Tatyana McFadden in London 2012
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Tatty
Nationality	United States
Born	(1989-04-21) April 21, 1989 (age 37) Leningrad, RSFSR, Soviet Union
Sport
Sport	Wheelchair Track and Field
College team	University of Illinois Wheelchair Basketball and Wheelchair Track and Field teams
Medal record Women's Track and field (T54) Representing  United States Paralympic Games Gold 2016 Rio 400m – T54 Gold 2016 Rio 800m – T54 Gold 2016 Rio 1500m – T54 Gold 2016 Rio 5000m – T54 Gold 2012 London 400m – T54 Gold 2012 London 800m – T54 Gold 2012 London 1500m – T54 Gold 2020 Tokyo mixed 4 × 100 m relay Silver 2004 Athens 100m – T54 Silver 2008 Beijing 200m – T54 Silver 2008 Beijing 400m – T54 Silver 2008 Beijing 800m – T54 Silver 2016 Rio 100m – T54 Silver 2016 Rio Marathon – T54 Silver 2020 Tokyo 800m – T54 Silver 2024 Paris 100m – T54 Bronze 2004 Athens 200m – T54 Bronze 2008 Beijing 4 × 100 m – T53–54 Bronze 2012 London 100m – T54 Bronze 2020 Tokyo 5000 m T54 Bronze 2024 Paris mixed 4×100 m relay World Championships Gold 2006 Assen 100m – T54 Gold 2011 Christchurch 200m – T54 Gold 2011 Christchurch 400m – T54 Gold 2011 Christchurch 800m – T54 Gold 2011 Christchurch 1500m – T54 Gold 2013 Lyon 100m – T54 Gold 2013 Lyon 200m – T54 Gold 2013 Lyon 400m – T54 Gold 2013 Lyon 800m – T54 Gold 2013 Lyon 1500m – T54 Gold 2013 Lyon 5000m – T54 Gold 2017 London 200m – T54 Gold 2017 London 1500m – T54 Silver 2006 Assen 200m – T54 Silver 2006 Assen 400m – T54 Silver 2011 Christchurch 4 × 400 m – T53–54 Silver 2023 Paris 400m – T54 Bronze 2011 Christchurch 100m – T54 Bronze 2023 Paris 100m – T54 Bronze 2023 Paris 800m – T54 New York City Marathon Gold 2010 New York City Marathon Bronze 2011 New York City Marathon Gold 2013 New York City Marathon Gold 2014 New York City Marathon Gold 2015 New York City Marathon Gold 2016 New York City Marathon Silver 2017 New York City Marathon Silver 2018 New York City Marathon Silver 2019 New York City Marathon Silver 2021 New York City Marathon Silver 2025 New York Marathon Women's Paralympic cross-country skiing (Sitting) Representing  United States Paralympic Games Silver 2014 Sochi 1km Sprint

Tatyana McFadden, born on April 21, 1989, is an amazing American Paralympic athlete. She competes in wheelchair racing, specifically in the T54 category. Tatyana has won many medals, twenty-two in total, at both Summer and Winter Paralympic Games. She also received the Laureus World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability award in 2015 and the James E. Sullivan Award in 2025.

Tatyana's Early Life and Journey

Tatyana McFadden was born in Leningrad, which was then part of the Soviet Union, on April 21, 1989. She was born with a condition called spina bifida, which meant she couldn't use her legs.

She grew up in an orphanage that didn't have a wheelchair for her. So, for her first six years, she learned to move around using her hands. Doctors thought she might not live for very long. Later, she met Deborah McFadden, who was visiting the orphanage. Deborah and her partner Bridget O'Shaughnessy adopted Tatyana and brought her to live in Baltimore, USA.

Growing up, Tatyana tried many sports to make her muscles strong. She enjoyed swimming, gymnastics, wheelchair basketball, sled hockey, and track and field. She later went to the University of Illinois. There, she studied Human Development and Family Studies and played on the university's wheelchair basketball team. Her coach at the University of Illinois is Adam Bleakney, who is also an experienced wheelchair racer.

Racing Towards Victory

Tatyana started racing when she was eight years old. Her talent quickly shone through.

Paralympic Games Achievements

Tatyana competed in the 2004 Summer Paralympics in Athens, Greece. She won a silver medal in the 100-meter race and a bronze medal in the 200-meter race.

At the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China, she earned three silver medals in the 200-meter, 400-meter, and 800-meter races. She also won a bronze medal as part of the 4 × 100-meter relay team.

Tatyana and her sister, Hannah McFadden, even competed in the same Paralympic final race (100m – T54) in London 2012.

Marathon Queen

At first, Tatyana focused on shorter sprint races. But in 2009, she decided to try the Chicago Marathon for fun. To everyone's surprise, she won! She finished so fast that her mom almost missed taking a picture of her victory.

This was the start of many marathon wins for her. She won in New York City (2010), London (2011), and again in Boston and New York (2015).

In 2013, Tatyana made history at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon. She won six gold medals, taking first place in every race from 100 meters all the way to 5,000 meters! That same year, 2013, she also won the Boston, Chicago, London, and New York marathons. This was an amazing achievement! She was the first person ever to win all four big marathons in one year. She even set a new record for the Chicago Marathon, finishing in 1 hour, 42 minutes, and 35 seconds.

In 2014, Tatyana went back to Russia, where she was born, to compete in the Winter Paralympic Games in Sochi. She won a silver medal in the 1 km Sprint cross-country skiing event. She said winning that medal, with her family (including her birth mother) watching, felt very special. Soon after Sochi, Tatyana returned to wheelchair racing. She won the London Marathon again, setting a new record time.

In 2015, Tatyana won the New York City Marathon. She broke the women's course record by more than seven minutes, finishing in 1 hour, 43 minutes, and four seconds.

Her winning streak continued in 2016, where she won the Boston and London Marathons. She also earned a silver medal in the 100 meters at the 2016 Summer Paralympics. Tatyana won the Chicago Marathon in 2017 and the Boston Marathon in 2018. In 2021, she won her ninth Chicago Marathon title.

Making a Difference: Tatyana's Law

When Tatyana was in high school, she faced challenges with racing. Her school, Atholton High School, didn't want her to race at the same time as other runners. They worried her racing chair might be unsafe or give her an unfair advantage. This meant she often raced alone on an empty track, which made her feel sad and embarrassed.

In 2005, Tatyana and her mom, Deborah, took legal action. They won the right for Tatyana to race alongside other runners starting in 2006. However, her scores still wouldn't count for her team.

Tatyana's efforts led to a very important change! Her lawsuit helped pass the Maryland Fitness and Athletics Equity for Students with Disabilities Act in 2008. This law, sometimes called "Tatyana's Law," made Maryland the first state to ensure schools offer equal sports chances for students with disabilities.

She also spoke out against a Russian law in 2012 that affected adoptions of Russian children by American parents. You can see her story in the 2020 documentary film Rising Phoenix.

Images for kids

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  The women's wheelchair race at the 2011 London marathon (left to right: Sandra Graf, Shelly Woods, Tatyana McFadden, Amanda McGrory).

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  New York City Marathon 2011

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  Tatyana McFadden near halfway point of Boston Marathon 2018 in which she got first place.

See also

In Spanish: Tatyana McFadden para niños