Shelley Taylor-Smith

Shelley Taylor-Smith

Shelley Taylor-Smith (born 3 August 1961) is a former Australian long-distance swimmer.

Born in Perth, Western Australia, Taylor-Smith suffered from scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, throughout her school years. The condition required her to wear a back brace, although she was successful in national age group swimming competitions. While on a swimming scholarship to the University of Arkansas in the United States, the heavy training regime caused a lower-body paralysis. During her recovery, her coach noticed that her swimming improved at greater distances, and encouraged her to take up marathon swimming, a sport which would also allow her to avoid potentially back-damaging "tumble turns". [ [http://www.ausport.gov.au/fulltext/1998/sportsf/sf980605.htm The Competitive Ocean] , "The Sports Factor" (Radio National), 5 June 1998.]

Taylor-Smith's first major achievement was breaking the world four-mile record in 1983. Subsequently, she won the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim five times, breaking the world record in 1995 for swimming the 48km distance in five hours, 45 minutes and 25 seconds. [Blair, Cynthia: [http://www.newsday.com/about/ny-ihiny041105story,0,3191598.htmlstory It Happened In New York] , "Newsday", 14 July 1995.] She also won the Australian Marathon Swimming Championships three times, and seven consecutive FINA Marathon World Cups. She won a gold medal in the inaugural open water swimming event at the 1991 World Aquatics Championships in Perth, and a bronze at the 1994 Championships in Rome. [cite book |last=Clark |first=David |authorlink= |coauthors= |title=ABC Australian Sports Almanac |year=2002 |publisher=Pan Macmillan |location=Sydney |isbn=9781740640565 ]

Her autobiography, "Dangerous When Wet: The Shelley Taylor-Smith Story" (ISBN 1864480750) was published in 1996. [ [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1864480750 Dangerous when wet: The Shelley Taylor-Smith story] , Amazon.com.]

In 1998, Taylor-Smith was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome after prolonged exposure to polluted water and "Giardia lamblia" infection, and was given six months to live. She nonetheless went on to win her fifth consecutive Manhattan Island marathon, and then retired from swimming.

Taylor-Smith currently lives in Sydney, where she works as a motivational speaker for her company, Champion Mindset.

References

External links

* [http://www.championmindset.com.au/ Champion Mindset] (Shelley Taylor-Smith's motivational speaking company)


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Taylor Swift (альбом) — Taylor Swift Студийный альбом Тейлор Свифт …   Википедия

  • Shelley Moore Capito — (* 26. November 1953 in Glen Dale, Marshall County, West Virginia) ist eine US amerikanische Politikerin. Seit 2001 vertritt sie den zweiten Wahlbezirk des Bund …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Taylor Swift (album) — Taylor Swift Studio album by …   Wikipedia

  • Shelley Winters — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Winters. Shelley Winters …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Maggie Smith — Dame Maggie Smith Smith in Capturing Mary , 2007 Born Margaret Natalie Smith 28 December 1934 (1934 12 28) (age 76) Ilford, Essex, England, UK …   Wikipedia

  • Maggie Smith — lors du tournage du téléfilm Capturing Mary, en 2007. Données clés Nom de naissance Margaret Natalie Smith Surnom …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Mary Shelley — Richard Rothwell s por …   Wikipedia

  • Mary W. Shelley — Mary Shelley, 1840 gemalt von Richard Rothwell Mary Shelley (* 30. August 1797 in London; † 1. Februar 1851 ebenda), geborene Mary Godwin, häufig auch als Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley bezeichnet, war eine englische Schriftstellerin des frühen 19.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mary Wollstonecraft-Shelley — Mary Shelley, 1840 gemalt von Richard Rothwell Mary Shelley (* 30. August 1797 in London; † 1. Februar 1851 ebenda), geborene Mary Godwin, häufig auch als Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley bezeichnet, war eine englische Schriftstellerin des frühen 19.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley — Mary Shelley, 1840 gemalt von Richard Rothwell Mary Shelley (* 30. August 1797 in London; † 1. Februar 1851 ebenda), geborene Mary Godwin, häufig auch als Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley bezeichnet, war eine englische Schriftstellerin des frühen 19.… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”