Tracy Barrell
{{short description|Australian Paralympic swimmer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2011}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = Tracy Barrell
| image = Medalist of 1992 Barcelona Paralympic Games.jpg
| caption = Barrell in 1992
| nationality = {{AUS}}
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1974}}
| birth_place = New South Wales, Australia
| death_date =
| death_place =
| collegeteam =
| club =
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport |Swimming}} {{MedalCompetition|Paralympic Games}} {{MedalGold | 1992 Barcelona |Women's 4x50 m Freestyle S1-6}} {{MedalGold | 1992 Barcelona |Women's 50 m Butterfly S3-4}}
| height =
| weight =
| imagesize = 150px
}}
Tracy Lee Barrell, OAM (born 1974) is a triple congenital amputee Paralympic swimmer from Australia. She won two gold medals at the 1992 Barcelona Games. She is a strong advocate for people with disabilities and an indigenous Australian.
Personal life
Barrell was born in 1974 in New South Wales. From birth she had no legs and only one arm. Barrell stated that doctors said her disability was a congenital malformation resulting from exposure to an anti morning sickness pill that her mother Terri had taken. Barrell sat on a skateboard and used her one arm for her mobility as a child. She decided not to use prosthetic legs. She attended St Patrick's College, Sutherland in Sydney.{{Cite news |last=McDonald |first=Margaret |date=1992-04-07 |title=Baked beans might help, says Laurie, but Tracy didn't need them |page=20 |work=Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122408516 |access-date=2023-03-19}}
She got married in February 1995 to Steve and got divorced 3 years later. She has two sons with her new partner Brad – Bryce (2001) and Oscar (2004). She separated from her partner and raised the children as a single mother.
Sporting career
In 1989, at the age of 14, her mother enrolled her with the NSW Amputee Sporting Association and she commenced her swimming career.{{cite web |title=Barrell is proof that dreams can come true. |url=http://www.thatslife.com.au/Article/Real-Life/Real-Life-Stories/Life-without-limbs |access-date=6 February 2015 |website=That's Life website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904035836/http://www.thatslife.com.au/Article/Real-Life/Real-Life-Stories/Life-without-limbs |archive-date=4 September 2012 }} She was coached by Mick Maroney and later by Greg Hodge. Her first major competition was the NSW State Games held at Narrabeen Sports Centre where she won gold in four swimming events and two athletics throwing events.{{cite web |title=Tracy Barrell |url=http://www.oneme.com.au/ |access-date=6 February 2015 |website=One of Me|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206062203/http://www.oneme.com.au/ |archive-date=6 February 2015 }} Her results led her to being award the Athlete of the Games. She was classified as a S4 swimmer.{{cite news|title=Courage, determination pave Tracy's golden path to Spain More than 'mucking around' in the water|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126934749|access-date=6 February 2015|work=Canberra Times|date=12 July 1992}}
Thanks to her mother, who sold their farm to get tickets to Spain, she took part in the 1992 Barcelona Games. She won two gold medals at the Paralympics in the Women's 4x50 m Freestyle S1-6 event and the Women's 50 m Butterfly S3-4 event and finished fourth in two individual events.{{cite web |title=Tracy Barrell |url=https://www.paralympic.org/tracy-barrell |access-date=30 September 2011 |website=paralympic.org |publisher=International Paralympic Committee}}
In 1993, for her sporting achievements, including those at the Paralympic Games, she was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).{{cite web |title=Barrell, Tracy Lee |url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/886391 |access-date=19 March 2023 |publisher=Australian Honours Search Facility}}{{Cite news |date=1993-06-14 |title=QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS |page=10 |work=Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127232776 |access-date=2023-03-19}}
She retired from swimming in 1994 due to injury and surgery to her only arm.
In 2008, she represented Australia at the Shanghai Women's Sitting Volleyball Tournament.
Advocacy
Since her retirement from sport, she has been a strong advocate for opportunities for people with a disability.{{cite web |date=25 November 2009 |title=Ambassadord 2009 |url=http://www.dontdismyability.com.au/ambassadors/ambassadors_2009 |access-date=6 February 2015 |website=Don't DIS my ABILITY website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412012203/http://www.dontdismyability.com.au/ambassadors/ambassadors_2009 |archive-date=12 April 2010 }} Between 2008 and 2015, she was an ambassador for Don't DIS my ABILITY, a program that provides inspirational role models for people with disabilities.{{Cite web |date=2017-03-25 |title=Ambassadors - Don't DIS my ABILITY |url=https://www.dontdismyability.com.au/about/past-campaign/ambassadors |access-date=2023-03-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170325190229/https://www.dontdismyability.com.au/about/past-campaign/ambassadors |archive-date=25 March 2017 }}{{Cite web |date=November 27, 2015 |title=Don't DIS my ABILITY- No Offence, BUT!... A Comedy Cabaret |url=https://blog.ai-media.tv/blog/dont-dis-my-ability-no-offence-but-a-comedy-cabaret |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=blog.ai-media.tv |language=en-us}}
In 2011, she was denied access to all rides at Movie World Studios due to a change in their safety policy. In previous visits, she was able to access all the rides.{{Cite web |author=Tagan Williams |author2=John Gass |date=13 September 2011 |title=Paralympian humiliated at theme park |url=http://www.tweeddailynews.com.au/news/paralympian-movie-world-embarrassment/1100857/ |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=Tweed Daily News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206183429/http://www.tweeddailynews.com.au/news/paralympian-movie-world-embarrassment/1100857/ |archive-date=6 February 2015 }}
In 2013, she was appointed as a Living Life My Way Ambassadors and Champions by the New South Wales Government.{{cite web |title=Meet our Aboriginal Ambassadors and Champions |url=http://www.adhc.nsw.gov.au/about_us/strategies/life_my_way/living_life_my_way_supporting_aboriginal_people |access-date=6 February 2015 |website=NSW Family and Community Services website}}
Barrell has indigenous heritage. In 2015, she was a spokesperson for First Peoples Disability Network and on December 3rd she took part in a celebration of indigenous Paralympians at National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Sydney.{{Cite web |author=Australian Paralympic Committee |date=10 December 2015 |title=Australian Paralympians honoured on IDPD |url=https://www.paralympic.org/news/australian-paralympians-honoured-idpd |access-date=2023-03-19 |website=International Paralympic Committee |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|Tracy Barrell - English Wikipedia.ogg|date=2012-1-1}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrell, Tracy}}
Category:Female Paralympic swimmers for Australia
Category:Swimmers at the 1992 Summer Paralympics
Category:Paralympic gold medalists for Australia
Category:Recipients of the Medal of the Order of Australia
Category:Medalists at the 1992 Summer Paralympics
Category:Amputee-category Paralympic competitors
Category:Indigenous Australian Paralympians
Category:Paralympic medalists in swimming
Category:Australian female freestyle swimmers
Category:Australian female butterfly swimmers
Category:S4-classified para swimmers