Susie Maroney
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Susan Jean Maroney |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born |
15 November 1974 Cronulla, New South Wales, Australia |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) (2009) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Swimming |
Susan Jean "Susie" Maroney OAM (born 15 November 1974) is an Australian former marathon swimmer.
Maroney was born with cerebral palsy. She initially kept her condition secret, but in 2007 she and her mother Pauline revealed her condition on the TV talk show Enough Rope. She was four years old when she started swimming, and by the time she was seven years old she was competing in swimming carnivals. Before that she only competed in short distance events. After turning 13 years old she came to realise that she could do long swims. After failing to graduate from high school she pursued her vocation.
She was first recognised as a long-distance swimmer in 1989 when she achieved third place in the Australian Marathon Swimming Championship for Women, aged 14. In 1990 she became the first person to swim from Manly, New South Wales to Darling Harbour and back again in seven hours. That same year she also broke the speed record for swimming the English Channel, with the help of her mentor Des Renford.
In 1999, Maroney was admitted to hospital after suffering a severe asthma attack following a 675 lap swim for charity. Shortly after that she was arrested for driving under the influence, and although the charge was upheld, no conviction was recorded. She later admitted she had suffered a mental breakdown at that time, and was treated for exhaustion. She retired from swimming on 23 February 2003, officially ending her career by swimming from the Sydney Opera House to Manly.
In 1989, 1990 and 1991, Maroney was awarded the Advance Australia Award. In 1991 she was awarded the Channel 10 Young Achievers Sport Award and in 1993 the Order of Australia Medal. She also received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the New South Wales Government in 1997; the same year she was inducted into the International Hall of Fame for her accomplishments. In 1996 she was awarded the Victorian Young Achiever of the Year, by the Asthma Foundation.
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