Ellie Cole
Encyclopedia
Ellie Cole is an elite swimmer and Australian Paralympian
. Cole is a triple Paralympic medal-winning swimmer after an incredible debut at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. Cole's dream is to one day defeat the ‘unbeatable’ South African Natalie du Toit
. She won a silver medal in the Women's 100 m Butterfly S9 event, and a bronze medal in the Women's 400 m Freestyle S9 event and another bronze medal in the Women's 100 m Backstroke S9 event.
, Australia on December 12, 1991, along with her twin sister Brittany Cole. One of the youngest members of the Australian Paralympic Swimming Team, Ellie Cole was diagnosed with cancer at the age of two and underwent chemotherapy. A few months later on Valentine's Day 1994, her leg was amputated. A blissfully unaware Ellie spent the second day after doctors amputated her right leg riding up and down on her stomach at the Royal Children’s Hospital hallway on a skateboard. It was the first sign that the then three-year-old was going to be okay after a battle with cancer. Eight weeks after the surgery, as part of her rehabilitation, Cole's mother Jenny, enrolled her in swimming lessons at the Kings Swimming Club in Mornington
. Instructors predicted she would take up to a year to learn to swim in a straight line. It took Cole two weeks.
where she won silver in the Women's 100 m butterfly (S9), and two bronze medals - one for the 400m freestyle and the other in the 100m backstroke.
Cole won the bronze medal in the 100 freestyle S9
at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
.
In 2011, she was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder training and based in Canberra in preparation for the 2012 Summer Paralympics
.
's Sport Performer Award in the Performer with a Disability category.
Paralympian
A Paralympian is an athlete who has participated in the Paralympic Games.A Paralympic athlete has a physical disability. The disability can be amputation, spinal cord injuries, visual impairment or cerebral palsy. An exception is the sighted guides for athletes with a visual impairment...
. Cole is a triple Paralympic medal-winning swimmer after an incredible debut at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing. Cole's dream is to one day defeat the ‘unbeatable’ South African Natalie du Toit
Natalie du Toit
Natalie du Toit is a South African swimmer. She is best known for the gold medals she won at the 2004 Paralympic Games as well as the Commonwealth Games. She was one of two Paralympians to compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; the other being table tennis player Natalia Partyka...
. She won a silver medal in the Women's 100 m Butterfly S9 event, and a bronze medal in the Women's 400 m Freestyle S9 event and another bronze medal in the Women's 100 m Backstroke S9 event.
Early life
Ellie Cole was born in LilydaleLilydale, Victoria
Lilydale is a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 35 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district situated in the Olinda Creek valley. At the 2006 Census, Lilydale had a population of 13,887...
, Australia on December 12, 1991, along with her twin sister Brittany Cole. One of the youngest members of the Australian Paralympic Swimming Team, Ellie Cole was diagnosed with cancer at the age of two and underwent chemotherapy. A few months later on Valentine's Day 1994, her leg was amputated. A blissfully unaware Ellie spent the second day after doctors amputated her right leg riding up and down on her stomach at the Royal Children’s Hospital hallway on a skateboard. It was the first sign that the then three-year-old was going to be okay after a battle with cancer. Eight weeks after the surgery, as part of her rehabilitation, Cole's mother Jenny, enrolled her in swimming lessons at the Kings Swimming Club in Mornington
Mornington, Victoria
Mornington is a sea side town on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia, located 57 km south-east of Melbourne's central business district. It is in the Local Government Area of the Shire of Mornington Peninsula....
. Instructors predicted she would take up to a year to learn to swim in a straight line. It took Cole two weeks.
Paralympic career
In 2008 Cole attended the Paralympics in BeijingBeijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
where she won silver in the Women's 100 m butterfly (S9), and two bronze medals - one for the 400m freestyle and the other in the 100m backstroke.
Cole won the bronze medal in the 100 freestyle S9
S9 (classification)
S9, SB8, SM9 are disability swimming classifications used for categorising swimmers based on their level of disability.-History:The classification was created by the International Paralympic Committee and has roots in a 2003 attempt to address "the overall objective to support and co-ordinate the...
at the 2010 Commonwealth Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
.
In 2011, she was an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship holder training and based in Canberra in preparation for the 2012 Summer Paralympics
2012 Summer Paralympics
The 2012 Summer Paralympic Games will be the fourteenth Paralympics and will take place between 29 August and 9 September 2012. The Games will be held in London, United Kingdom after the city was successful with its bid for the Paralympics and Summer Olympic Games.Even though 2012 will be London's...
.
Recognition
In 2011, she was a nominee for The AgeThe Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
's Sport Performer Award in the Performer with a Disability category.