Emily Beecroft

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Emily Beecroft

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|OAM}}

| image = XXXX15 - Emily Beecroft - 3b - 2016 Team processing.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = 2016 Australian Paralympic team portrait

| fullname = Emily Beecroft

| nicknames =

| nationality = Australian

| classification = S9

| strokes = Butterfly, freestyle

| club = University of Sunshine Coast (USC) Spartans

| coach = Harley Connolly,

| collegeteam =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|11|19|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Clayton, Queensland

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| weight =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry | {{AUS}} }}

}}

Emily Jane Beecroft {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|OAM}} (born 19 November 1999) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and 2024 Paris Paralympics.{{Cite web|date=16 June 2021|title=Paralympics Australia Names Powerful Para-Swimming Team For Tokyo|url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/2021/06/paralympics-australia-names-powerful-para-swimming-team-for-tokyo/|access-date=17 June 2021|website=Paralympics Australia}}{{cite web|title=Swimming Australia Paralympic Squad Announcement|url=http://www.swimming.org.au/NewsCentral/Swimming-Australia-Paralympic-Squad-Announcement.aspx|website=Swimming Australia News|access-date=29 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113144330/http://www.swimming.org.au/NewsCentral/Swimming-Australia-Paralympic-Squad-Announcement.aspx|archive-date=13 November 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}

She won a silver and bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, and a gold and bronze medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Personal life

Beecroft was born on 19 November 1999, a triplet with two sisters. She lived in Traralgon, Victoria. She was born deaf in her left ear and with a right arm limb deficiency. In 2020, she studied part-time media and communications at La Trobe University.{{Cite web|date=3 August 2020|title=Emily Beecroft: Swimming towards success|url=https://www.upstart.net.au/emily-beecroft-swimming-towards-success/|access-date=22 June 2021|website=Upstart website}} She moved to the Queensland Sunshine Coast and in 2022 was studying a Bachelor of Communications at the University of the Sunshine Coast.{{Cite web |title=Beecroft takes UniSC's top sporting honour |url=https://www.usc.edu.au/about/unisc-news/news-archive/2022/november/beecroft-takes-unisc-s-top-sporting-honour |access-date=2023-11-19 |website=www.usc.edu.au |language=en}}

Swimming career

Beecroft played netball and participated in athletics, but eventually decided to concentrate on swimming. In 2010, she competed won ten medals at the School Sports Championships, and was awarded the Sportsmanship Award in 2012.{{cite web |url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/athlete/emily-beecroft/ |publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |title=Emily Beecroft |date=9 March 2016 |access-date=19 April 2016 }} Competing for the Traralgon Swimming Club, she swam a personal best time to take the bronze medal in the 50 metre breaststroke multi-class event at the National Open Championships in May 2013.{{cite web |url=http://traralgonswimming.org.au/emily-beecroft-national-open-bronze-medallist/ |title=Emily National Open Bronze Medallist |publisher=Traralgon Swimming Club |date=2 May 2013 |access-date=19 April 2016 }}

By March 2015, Beecroft was ranked in the top five in the world in the 50 metre butterfly, 50 metre and 100 metre freestyle and in the top 15 in all her other events.{{cite web |url=http://gippslandswimming.org.au/emily-beecroft-making-waves/ |title=Emily Beecroft making Waves |date=2 March 2015 |publisher=Gippsland Swimming |access-date=19 April 2016}} She made her international debut at the US Para Championships in Bismarck, North Dakota, in December 2015, where she was officially classified S9, and swam second in the 50 metre butterfly, and 50 metre and 100 metre freestyle events.{{cite web |title=Emily Beecroft – Great Results at US Para Championships |date=21 December 2015 |publisher=Traralgon Swimming Club |url=http://traralgonswimming.org.au/emily-beecroft-great-results-at-us-para-championships/ |access-date=19 April 2016 }} She won gold in the 50 metre freestyle and 100 metre butterfly events at the 2015 Australian Open Championships, and the 2016 Australian Age Championships.{{cite web |url=https://swimswam.com/float-like-butterfly-sting-like-beecroft/ |title=Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Beecroft |publisher= Swim Swam |date=3 April 2016 |access-date=19 April 2016 }}

At the 2016 Australian Swimming Championships in Adelaide, coached by Dean Gooch, Beecroft won gold in the 50 metre and 100 metre freestyle and 50 metre butterfly events. All three swims were personal bests, but the 31.93 second 50-metre butterfly swim also broke the national record set by Madeleine Scott back in 2009.{{cite web |url=http://traralgonswimming.org.au/congratulations-emily/ |title=Congratulations Emily! |date=14 April 2016 |publisher=Gippsland Swimming |access-date=19 April 2016 }} On 14 April 2016, she was named part of the Australian swim team for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio.{{cite news |title=Aussie Paralympic swim team named |date=14 April 2016 |url=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/04/14/aussie-paralympic-swim-team-named |access-date=19 April 2016 |newspaper=Special Broadcasting Service }}

In September 2016, she represented Australia at the Rio Paralympics in four different S9 classification events. Beecroft qualified for three finals from her four events, however was unsuccessful in having any podium finishes. She finished fourth in 50m Freestyle S9,{{cite web|title=Emily Beecroft |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/swimming-standings-sw-womens-50m-freestyle-s9 |website=Rio 2016 Official Results |publisher=Rio Paralympics 2016 |access-date=30 September 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002160907/https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/swimming-standings-sw-womens-50m-freestyle-s9 |archive-date= 2 October 2016 }} sixth in 100m Freestyle S9{{cite web|title=Emily Beecroft |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/swimming-standings-sw-womens-100m-freestyle-s9 |website=Rio 2016 Official Results |publisher=Rio Paralympics 2016 |access-date=30 September 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002184224/https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/swimming-standings-sw-womens-100m-freestyle-s9 |archive-date= 2 October 2016 }} and 6th in 100m Butterfly S9.{{cite web|title=Emily Beecroft |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/swimming-standings-sw-womens-100m-butterfly-s9 |website=Rio 2016 Official Results |publisher=Rio Paralympics 2016 |access-date=30 September 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002184226/https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/swimming-standings-sw-womens-100m-butterfly-s9 |archive-date= 2 October 2016 }} Beecroft also competed in 200m Individual Medley SM9 but did not advance to the finals.{{cite web|title=Emily Beecroft |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/swimming-standings-sw-womens-200m-individual-medley-sm9 |website=Rio 2016 Official Results |publisher=Rio Paralympics 2016 |access-date=30 September 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002142327/https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/swimming-standings-sw-womens-200m-individual-medley-sm9 |archive-date= 2 October 2016 }} In response to being asked 'What's the purpose of going to Rio?' Beecroft replied saying "I'm going there to race and win!"{{cite web|title=Emily Beecroft is Bound for Rio|url=https://www.facebook.com/WINNewsGippsland/videos/1084924108245014/|website=Win News Local|publisher=Win News Gippsland|access-date=30 September 2016}}

At the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Beecroft finished fourth in the Women's 100m Freestyle S9.{{Cite web|title=Emily Beecroft Results|url=https://commonwealthgames.com.au/athletes/emily-beecroft/|access-date=22 June 2021|website=Commonwealth Games Australia|date=2 April 2018 }}

At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Beecroft, together with her team of Ellie Cole, Isabella Vincent, and Ashleigh McConnell won a silver medal in the Women's 4x100m Freestyle 34 pts with a time of 4:26.82, two seconds behind the winners, Italy. She also won a bronze medal in the 34pts Women's 4x100m Medley 34 pts. Her team of Ellie Cole, Keira Stephens and Isabella Vincent clocked 4:55.70.{{Cite web |title=Australian Paralympic Team for Tokyo 2021 |url=https://www.theroar.com.au/olympics/australian-paralympic-team/ |access-date=2022-07-19 |website=The Roar |language=en-US}} In the Women's 100 m freestyle S9 Beecroft qualified for the final but finished eighth and did not win a medal {{Cite web|title=Emily Beecroft|url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/swimming/athlete-profile-n1498306-beecroft-emily.htm|access-date=8 October 2021|work=Tokyo 2020 Paralympics|publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games|archive-date=8 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008051806/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/swimming/athlete-profile-n1498306-beecroft-emily.htm|url-status=dead}}

At the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships, Madeira Beecroft won three medals - gold in the Mixed 4 × 100 m medley relay 34 pts and silver in Women's 100 m Freestyle S9 and Women's 100 m Butterfly S9.{{Cite web |title=Grant Patterson |url=https://www.paralympic.org/madeira-2022/schedule-results |access-date=27 June 2022 |website=2022 World Para Swimming Championships}}

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Birmingham, England, she won the silver medal in the Women's 100 m freestyle S9.{{Cite web |date=5 May 2022 |title=Cole, Patterson And Levy Amongst Stars Of The Pool Ready To Splash And Dash In Birmingham |url=https://commonwealthgames.com.au/cole-patterson-and-levy-amongst-stars-of-the-pool-ready-to-splash-and-dash-in-birmingham/ |access-date=6 May 2022 |website=Commonwealth Games Australia}}{{Cite web |title=2022 Commonwealth Games Results |url=https://commonwealthgames.com.au/games/ |access-date=15 August 2022 |website=Commonwealth Games Australia|date=16 June 2020 }} Beecroft won the bronze medal in the Women's 100 m butterfly S9 at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester, England.

At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, she won the gold medal in Mixed 4×100 m freestyle relay 34pts and the bronze medal in the Women's 100 m butterfly S9. She finished fourth in the Women's 100 m freestyle S9.{{Cite web |date=14 June 2024 |title=Paralympics Australia Names Swimming Team For Paris 2024 Games |url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/2024/06/paralympics-australia-names-swimming-team-for-paris-2024-games/ |access-date=15 June 2024 |website=Paralympics Australia}}

Recognition

2016 - Victorian Young Athlete of the Year.{{cite web|title=2016 My Sport Live Victorian Athlete of the Year|url=https://vicsport.com.au/2016-my-sport-live-victorian-young-athlete-of-the-year-emily-beecroft-swimming|website=Vicsport website|access-date=3 April 2017}}
2022 - University of the Sunshine Coast Sportsperson of the Year
2023 - University of the Sunshine Coast Sportsperson of the Year
2024 - Swimming Australia Swimmers Swimmer of The Year Award {{Cite web |author=Ian Hanson |date=2024-09-14 |title=Golden Campaigns In Paris See Kaylee McKeown and Tim Hodge Claim Top Gongs At Swimming Australia Awards |url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/golden-campaigns-in-paris-see-kaylee-mckeown-and-tim-hodge-claim-top-gongs-at-swimming-australia-awards/ |access-date=2024-09-15 |website=Swimming World News |language=en-US}}
2025 - Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to sport as a gold medallist at the Paris Paralympic Games 2024.{{Cite web |date=26 January 2025 |title=Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the General Division |url=https://www.gg.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-01/AD25%20-%20Honours%20List%20Media%20Notes%20-%20Order%20of%20Australia%20-%20OAM.pdf |access-date=26 January 2025 |website=Governor-General of Australia}}

References

External links

{{Swimming Australia|emily-beecroft}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20211018105709/https://www.swimming.org.au/athletes/emily-beecroft archive])
{{Paralympics Australia|emily-beecroft}}
{{Commonwealth Games Australia|emily-beecroft}}
{{IPC|id=emily-beecroft}}
[https://paris2024.rtve.es/es/paris-2024-paralimpicos/atleta/emily-beecroft_3069008 Emily Beecroft] at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics
{{2022 Commonwealth Games profile|50686}}
{{Instagram}}