Keira Stephens
{{short description|Australian Paralympic swimmer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox swimmer
| name = Keira Stephens
| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|OAM}}
| image =
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| caption = Keira Stephens in 2019
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| nationality = Australian
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| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|03|17|df=yes}}
| birth_place = England
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| height = 184cm
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| classification = S10
| event =
| club = Southport Olympic SC
| coach = Glenn Baker
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| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry|{{AUS}}}}
{{MedalSport|Women's Swimming}}
{{MedalCompetition|Paralympic Games}}
{{MedalBronze|2020 Tokyo|100 m breastroke SB9}}
{{MedalBronze|2020 Tokyo|4×100 m medley 34pts}}
{{MedalGold|2024 Paris|Mixed 4×100 m medley relay 34pts}}
{{MedalCompetition | World Championships}}
{{MedalGold |2022 Madeira|Mixed 4 × 100 m medley relay 34 pts}}
{{MedalSilver |2022 Madeira| 100 m breaststroke SB9}}
{{MedalBronze |2023 Manchester| 100 m breaststroke SB9}}
{{MedalCompetition | Commonwealth Games}}
{{MedalBronze | 2022 Birmingham | 200 m individual medley SM10}}
}}
Keira Kristina Stephens {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100|OAM}} (born 17 March 2003){{Cite web |title=Jake Michel |url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/athlete/jake-michel/ |access-date=20 June 2021 |website=Paralympics Australia|date=12 March 2020 }} is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. At the 2020 Summer Paralympics, she won two bronze medals.{{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=20 June 2021 |website=Paralympics Australia}} At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, she won a gold medal as a heat.{{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}}
Personal life
Stephens was born on 17 March 2003 in England.{{Cite web |title=Keira Stephens |url=https://www.paralympic.org.au/athlete/ben-popham/ |access-date=22 June 2021 |website=Paralympics Australia|date=17 March 2020 }} She was born missing fingers on her left hand. She comes from Hervey Bay, Queensland and attended Xavier Catholic College.{{Cite web |title=Keira Stephens |url=https://www.paralympic.org/keira-stephens |access-date=22 June 2021 |website=International Paralympic Committee}}
Swimming career
Stephens started swimming at the Hervey Bay swimming club under coach Paul Jones. She is classified as a S10 swimmer. Her first international competition was the 2018 Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships, Cairns, where she won the silver medal in the Women's 100m Breaststroke SB9.
At the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships, London, Stephens finished fourth in the Women's 100m Breaststroke SB9, fifth in the Women's {{nowrap|4 × 100 m}} Medley 34 Points, sixth in the Women's 200m Individual Medley SM10 and eighth in the Women's 50m Freestyle S10.
At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Stephens won a bronze medal in the Swimming at the 2020 Summer Paralympics – medley relay Her team of Ellie Cole, Emily Beecroft, 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=19 July 2022 |website=The Roar}} She also won a bronze medal in the Women's 100 m breaststroke SB9 .She also swam in two other individual events{{Cite web |title=Keira Stephens Results |url=https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/swimming/athlete-profile-n1498352-stephens-keira.htm |access-date=26 August 2021 |work=Tokyo 2020 Paralympics |publisher=Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games |archive-date=26 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210826102323/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/paralympic-games/en/results/swimming/athlete-profile-n1498352-stephens-keira.htm |url-status=dead }}
At the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships, Madeira, Stephens won two medals - gold in Mixed 4 × 100 m medley relay 34 pts and silver in the Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB9.{{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 bronze medal in the Women's 200 m individual medley SM10.{{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}} At the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships, Manchester, England, Stephens won a bronze medal in the Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB9.
At the 2024 Paris Paralympics, she won the gold medal in the Mixed {{nowrap|4 × 100 m}} medley relay 34 pts as a heat swimmer. Stephens competed in three other events - Women's 50 m freestyle S9 (10th), Women's 100 m breaststroke SB9 (4th) and Women's 200 m individual medley SM10 (7th).
Stephens is coached by Glen Baker at Southport on the Gold Coast .
Recognition
- 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
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Swimming Australia|keira-stephens}} ([https://web.archive.org/web/20200125071022/https://www.swimming.org.au/athletes/keira-stephens archive])
- {{Paralympics Australia|keira-stephens}}
- {{Commonwealth Games Australia|keira-stephens}}
- {{IPC|keira-stephens}}
- [https://paris2024.rtve.es/es/paris-2024-paralimpicos/atleta/keira-stephens_3069024 Keira Stephens] at the Paris 2024 Summer Paralympics
- {{2022 Commonwealth Games profile|50740}}
- {{Instagram}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephens, Keira}}
Category:Australian female breaststroke swimmers
Category:Australian female medley swimmers
Category:S10-classified para swimmers
Category:Medalists at the World Para Swimming Championships
Category:Female Paralympic swimmers for Australia
Category:Paralympic bronze medalists for Australia
Category:Paralympic medalists in swimming
Category:Swimmers at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
Category:Swimmers at the 2024 Summer Paralympics
Category:Medalists at the 2020 Summer Paralympics
Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Australia
Category:Commonwealth Games swimmers for Australia
Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in swimming
Category:Swimmers at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
Category:Medallists at the 2022 Commonwealth Games
Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia