Swimmer Ellie Cole excelled in the pool, collecting four gold and two bronze with some superb performances at the London Paralympics. In many ways, she has exceeded her own expectations with a golden run at the London Games.

On day three of the swimming, Cole won her first Paralympic gold in the women’s S9 backstroke event, beating 11-time champion and Olympian, Natalie du Toit of South Africa. She teamed up with Jacqueline Freeney, Maddison Elliott and Katherine Downie to win her second gold in the 4 x 100m freestyle in a world record time. 

On Day 9, Cole was going for silver in the women’s 100-metre event (S9 class) and was surprised to claim her third gold and beat Paralympic champion du Toit. 

She capped off her outstanding success at the London Games, claiming gold with Freeney, Downie and Annabelle Williams in the 4x 100-metre medley relay. 

Ellie has triumphed over adversity to win Paralympic gold.

Watch this video interview with Ellie Cole before the London Paralympic Games.

Ellie was diagnosed with cancer at the age of two and underwent chemotherapy. After the round of treatment did not reduce the cancer, her parents made the agonising decision to amputate Ellie’s leg to save her life.

Eight weeks after the surgery, as part of her rehabilitation, Ellie’s mother enrolled her in swimming lessons. Instructors predicted she would take up to a year to learn to swim in a straight line but, to their surprise, it took Ellie only two weeks. Ellie’s swimming went from strength to strength and in 2006, she made her debut into the world of elite swimming at the 2006 IPC Swimming World Championships where she won a silver medal. At the 2006 Telstra Australian Swimming Championships, Ellie also won the 100m backstroke.

In 2008, Ellie made her Paralympic debut as one of the youngest members of the 2008 Australian Paralympic swimming squad. At just 16 years of age, Ellie brought home silver in the women’s 100m butterfly (S9) and two bronze medals — one for the 400m freestyle and the other in the 100m backstroke.

Ellie has been training at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) Paralympic Swimming program for the last two and a half years.

She produced an outstanding performance at the 2011 Pan Pacific Championships in Canada,  returning home with six gold medals in the lead up to the London Games.

’...it’s definitely been a big experience. I’ve gone from quite an immature, inexperienced athlete to an experienced, semi-mature athlete. So I’ve definitely stepped up my training since I’ve been here, being around world class swimmers I’ve been able to see what it takes I guess, to get to the top of a world class stage,’ Cole said.