Mary Kate Callahan

“My life and sports journey began when I was just 5 ½ months old. During the night a virus called Transverse Myelitis, attacked my spinal cord and left me a T8-T10 paraplegic. I began swimming as part of aqua therapy, joined my local swim club and never looked back.

As a high school swimmer I was a captain of Fenwick High School’s 2012 State Championship Runner-Up team. As part of my efforts to swim at the state high school championships I teamed up with the Illinois Attorney General and Equip for Equality. Together we compelled the Illinois High School Association to create opportunities for disabled athletes to compete in state level competitions. As a result of this effort, myself and six other girls were the first athletes with a disability in Illinois history to compete at the state championship swim meet.

In 2012 I became the youngest member of the USA World Paratriathlon Team and competed in my first World Championships in New Zealand. I have also been a member of the USA World Championship Team in 2014 and 2015. Last season I won the ITU London World Triathlon and ended the season as the #3 female in the world in my classification. In October I set the course record at Ironman Louisville (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run). I am committed to representing the United States in world competition and look forward to continuing my 2016 international season.

I serve as a mentor and motivational speaker discussing adversity and encouraging children and young adults to engage in an active lifestyle.”