Scotland’s most successful female swimmer of recent times is one of the most elegant swimmers ever to compete in international disability swimming. Maggi hails from the Port Glasgow Otters and she and Kenny Cairns have made that club world famous. Club coach Eddie McCluskey is identified as a major influence in her career and to this day encourages and supports her in her new career in coaching.
Maggi had to retire from competitive swimming due to ill health prior to the Beijing Games and even after a tracheostomy she continues to swim for leisure and pleasure. She hopes to inspire others to swim who have had similar surgeries and there is nobody more inspirational in disability sport than this remarkable young woman. Throughout her very successful international swimming career she has been dogged by ill health but this has never dampened her spirits. Time after time she has bounced back and put herself into the running for international selection. Once selected she never disappointed. Like her club mate Kenny she has always supported local galas and SDS championships.
Success never changed this exceptional sportswoman and from the time she first competed at the Swedish Open in 1991 until the Paralympics in Athens in 2004 she remained a model team member and ambassador for club and country. Maggi won 15 Paralympic medals between 1992 and 2004 including 3 gold. She represented GB in successive European Championships between 1991 and 2001 winning 15 medals of which 5 were gold. Maggi is a four times Paralympian and in recognition of all her achievements was awarded the MBE.
Maggi now coaches swimmers with a disability at her beloved Port Glasgow Otters club. She enjoys going to the gym and taking her dog for a walk. She swims at least once per week using her revolutionary new breathing tube. Maggi is always willing to contribute to the development of disability sport and will make herself available wherever and whenever she is required. Maggi has always been an amazing role model for disability sport and received the ultimate accolade from her fellow athletes by being selected as a GB Team Paralympic flag bearer.