Jeremy McClure

{{Infobox swimmer

| name = Jeremy McClure

| image = 260312 - Jeremy McClure - 3a - 2012 profile photo.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = Portrait of Australian Paralympic swimmer McClure in 2012

| fullname = Jeremy McClure

| nicknames =

| nationality = {{AUS}}

| classification = S11

| strokes = Freestyle, butterfly, medley

| club = Riverton Aquanauts

| coach = Mel Tantrum

| collegeteam =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|5|25|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Perth, Western Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| weight =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{AUS}}}}

}}

Jeremy McClure (born 25 May 1987) is an Australian swimmer, triathlete and motivational speaker. He competed at four Paralympics - 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing, 2012 London and 2016 Rio.

Personal

McClure was born on 25 May 1987 in Perth, Western Australia and is from Bull Creek, Western Australia. He was diagnosed with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy when he was fifteen years old{{cite web|url=http://www.prideofaustralia.com.au/pastwinners_2010_wa.html |title=Pride of Australia medal |publisher=Pride of Australia |access-date=2012-08-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230151408/http://www.prideofaustralia.com.au/pastwinners_2010_wa.html |archive-date=30 December 2012 }} and lost most of his sight.{{cite web |last=Ashlee |first=By |url=http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/meet-was-inspiring-pride-of-australia-heroes/story-e6frg13u-1225914222728 |title=Meet WA's inspiring Pride of Australia heroes |publisher=Perth Now |date=2010-09-04 |access-date=2012-08-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120409165634/http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/meet-was-inspiring-pride-of-australia-heroes/story-e6frg13u-1225914222728 |archive-date=9 April 2012 |df=dmy-all }} He uses a guide dog{{cite web|url=http://www.guidedogswa.com.au/could-you-see-the-world-through-different-eyes/ |title=Could you see the world through different eyes? - Association for the Blind of Western Australia |publisher=Association for the Blind of Western Australia |date=2011-12-15 |access-date=2012-08-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420171152/http://www.guidedogswa.com.au/could-you-see-the-world-through-different-eyes/ |archive-date=20 April 2012 }} named Nina as he only has about two percent of available vision. In 2006, he participated in the Commonwealth Games torch relay. In 2010, he won a Pride of Australia award. He works as a motivational speaker, and given a speeches to schools in Western Australia and to the West Coast Eagles. {{As of|2016}}, he also works as a part-time remedial massage therapist.

Sporting career

File:060912 - Jeremy McClure - 3b - 2012 Summer Paralympics.JPG

=Swimming=

McClure is an S11 classified swimmer,{{cite web|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/team/jeremy-mcclure |title=Jeremy McClure |publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |location=Australia |year=2012 |access-date=13 July 2012}} and is a member of South Shore Swimming Club.{{cite web|url=http://wa.swimming.org.au/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsItem&NewsID=26425 |title=Swimming Western Australia |publisher=Swimming Western Australia |date=2012-07-10 |access-date=2012-08-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120801001843/http://wa.swimming.org.au/news/index.cfm?fuseaction=NewsItem&NewsID=26425 |archive-date= 1 August 2012 }} He started swimming in 2002 and competitively in May 2003.

McClure competed at the 2004 Summer Paralympics, finishing sixth in the 100 metre backstroke. He competed at his second Paralympics in 2008, finishing seventh in the 100 metre backstroke. He was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Summer Paralympics in swimming.{{cite web|url=http://paralympic.org.au/news/paralympic-swim-team-revealed |title=Paralympic swim team revealed |publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee |date=2012-07-10 |access-date=2012-07-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120711022235/http://www.paralympic.org.au/news/paralympic-swim-team-revealed |archive-date=11 July 2012 }}{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-10/cowdrey-leads-paralympic-swim-team/4121704?section=sport |title=Cowdrey leads Paralympic swim team |newspaper=ABC News |date=10 July 2012 |publisher=ABC Grandstand Sport — ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |access-date=2012-07-13}} Going into the 2012 Games, he was ranked fifth in the 100 metre backstroke event, fourth in the 50 metre breaststroke and third in the 50 metre backstroke event. He did not medal at the 2012 Games and his best result was eighth in 100 metre backstroke{{cite web|title=Jeremy McClure|url=https://www.paralympic.org/asp/redirect/ipc.asp?page=athletebio&personid=689480&sportid=514|website=International Paralympic Committee website|access-date=16 April 2016}}

At the 2016 Australian Swimming Championships in Adelaide, he set a new world record of 32.22 in the Men's S11 50m backstroke.{{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, 13 April 2016|access-date=14 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}}

At the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games, McClure placed fifth in the Men's 100m Backstroke S11. He also competed in Men's 50m Freestyle S11 and Men's 100m Freestyle S11.{{cite web|title=Jeremy McClure |url=https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/athlete/jeremy-mcclure |website=Rio Paralympics Official Results |publisher=Rio 2016 Paralympics |access-date=23 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161023205115/https://www.rio2016.com/en/paralympics/athlete/jeremy-mcclure |archive-date=23 October 2016 }} In preparation for Rio, McClure stated: “I’m definitely confident I can drop that time but breaking the record all depends how much I can drop it by. The ultimate goal is to win gold and break the record but I’d love to just get any medal at this point really.”{{cite web|last1=Zimmerman|first1=Josh|title=Four-time Paralympian Jeremy McClure aiming for Rio gold|url=http://www.communitynews.com.au/melville-times/news/four-time-paralympian-jeremy-mcclure-aiming-for-rio-gold/|website=Community|date=8 August 2016 |publisher=Melville Times|access-date=23 October 2016}}

In early 2022 he became the first person to swim from Dirk Hartog Island to the town of Denham and he became the first person to swim the {{convert|60|km}} from the Abrolhos Islands to the city of Geraldton in September 2022.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-25/blind-swimmer-makes-history-abrolhos-islands-to-geraldton/101471118|title=Blind swimmer Jeremy McClure becomes first person to finish Abrolhos to Geraldton journey|publisher=ABC Midwest & Wheatbelt|first=Phoebe|last=Pin|date=25 September 2022|access-date=25 September 2022}}

=Paratriathlon=

In 2011, McClure competed in his first triathlon when he took part in the Ironman 70.3 Busselton, finishing the event in 5:03:43.{{cite web|url=http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/asiapac/ironman-70.3/busselton/results.aspx?rd=20110507&race=busselton70.3&bidid=42&detail=1#axzz2vKZN1vWU|title=Ironman 70.3 Busselton Results 2011 - Jeremy McClure|access-date=8 March 2014|archive-date=8 March 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140308043627/http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/asiapac/ironman-70.3/busselton/results.aspx?rd=20110507&race=busselton70.3&bidid=42&detail=1#axzz2vKZN1vWU|url-status=dead}} He required sighted guides to assist him on the course. They were Stewart Collingwood for the 1.9 km swim, Frans Buissink for 90 km cycle component and Craig Andrew for the 21 km run. He participated in the event in order to raise money for Guide Dogs Western Australia.{{cite web|author=Tim Carrier |url=http://www.busseltonmail.com.au/news/local/sport/triathlon/half-ironman-challenge-for-jeremy-mcclure/2167228.aspx?storypage=0 |title=Half Ironman challenge for Jeremy McClure |publisher=Busselton-Dunsborough Mail |date=2011-05-18 |access-date=2012-08-01 }}{{dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} His performance in the race earned him Triathlon Western Australia's Paul Goodwin Award.{{cite web|url=http://triwa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/TWA-Annual-Report-2010.20111.pdf|title=Triathlon WA Annual Report 2010-2011|access-date=12 January 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130418104057/http://triwa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/TWA-Annual-Report-2010.20111.pdf|archive-date=18 April 2013|df=dmy-all}} He has also raced in a number of other triathlons, including Busselton 70.3 in 2012.

He qualified to represent Australia in the sprint-distance 2013 ITU Paratriathlon World Championships in London, where he placed 8th in the TRI6a classification for blind athletes.{{cite web|url=http://www.triathlon.org/results/result/2013_itu_world_triathlon_grand_final_london/259967|title=2013 ITU World Triathlon Grand Final : Paratriathlon Male TRI-6a : Results|publisher=International Triathlon Union|access-date=8 March 2014}} In January 2014, he won the TRI6a class at the 2014 OTU Oceania Championships in Penrith.{{cite web|url=http://www.triathlon.org/results/result/2014_penrith_otu_paratriathlon_oceania_championships/265465|title=2014 Penrith OTU Paratriathlon Oceania Championships : Paratriathlon Male TRI-6a : Results|publisher=International Triathlon Union|access-date=8 March 2014}} Reclassified TRI6b, he placed second in the Elwood ITU World Paratriathlon event.{{cite web|url=http://www.triathlon.org/results/result/2014_elwood_itu_paratriathlon_international_event/265482|title=2014 Elwood ITU World Paratriathlon Event : Feb 16 2014 : Paratriathlon Male TRI-6b : Results|publisher=International Triathlon Union|access-date=8 March 2014}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20200124203642/https://www.swimming.org.au/athletes/jeremy-mcclure Jeremy McClure] at Swimming Australia (archived 2020-01-24, [https://web.archive.org/web/20170404005833/http://www.swimming.org.au/Home/AustralianDolphins/AthleteProfile.aspx?AthleteID=53 2017-04-04])
{{Paralympics Australia|jeremy-mcclure}}
{{IPC athlete|jeremy-mcclure}}

Category:1987 births

Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen

Category:Australian blind people

Category:Australian male butterfly swimmers

Category:Australian male freestyle swimmers

Category:Australian male medley swimmers

Category:Australian male triathletes

Category:Living people

Category:Male Paralympic swimmers for Australia

Category:Paratriathletes

Category:S11-classified para swimmers

Category:Sportsmen from Western Australia