Who Are Kaylee McKeown?s Parents? ? Know All About the Couple That Filled the 22 YO?s Olympic Dream

The 2023 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup has witnessed several swimmers rise to fame. Each leg introduced new swimming talent to the headlines, but some names remained consistently dominant throughout the World Cup, etching their names in history. Kaylee McKeown of Australia is surely one of them, having been absolutely magnificent throughout the competition, and she even won the ultimate queen crown during yesterday’s event in Budapest. McKeown blazed through the Hungarian waters on Friday and also broke a world record in the women’s 50-meter backstroke.

The Australian prodigy has been a treat to watch for the fans. Every time she steps into the pool, the young swimmer creates her own piece of history. But the big question on fans’ minds is what drives her and where she finds her inspiration from. The answer to that has been given by the swimmer herself; it’s her parents who have inspired the swimmer over the years. Now, let’s discover who Kaylee McKeown’s parents are.

Kaylee McKeown’s parents

The 50-meter backstroke sensation hails from Redcliffe, Queensland, Australia, born to parents Sharon McKeown and Sholto McKeown. The 22-year-old swimmer also has one sister, Taylor McKeown, who herself is an accomplished swimmer and was also an inspiration behind her choosing swimming as her career path. Her father instilled in her the value of seizing every life opportunity, and the swimmer describes him as “brave, strong, and determined.” Sholto McKeown was diagnosed with grade-four glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, in June of 2018. In August 2020, he courageously lost his battle with the illness at the age of 53, a battle that he had been fighting for nearly two years. Her mother, Sharon, has been an unwavering source of strength for the family, enduring challenges with remarkable resilience.

She held steadfast, witnessing her daughters shine on the grandest stages, a testament to her late husband’s wishes. However, with her father’s passing away, Kaylee became more determined and focused on her career. It was a wish of her father to see her daughters race at the Olympics, and she fulfilled his wish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after winning three golds and one bronze at the sporting event. When Kaylee broke the 100-meter backstroke world record, she dedicated it to her late father. Even in the ongoing swimming world, she has given some exceptional performances.

Her swimming brilliance at the 2023 Swimming World Cup

On Day 1 of the third and last leg of the event, McKeown made a splash when she broke the world record in the 50-meter backstroke. She looked ready for something big as soon as the race commenced. The Redcliffe native took an early lead and left her opponents no room for a comeback, concluding the race in an impressive 26.86 seconds. This remarkable swim also marked the establishment of the first Swimming World Cup 2023 world record. In the women’s 50-meter backstroke during leg 1 that was organized in Berlin, she claimed the top spot with 27.24 seconds.

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She bettered her latter time in the Greek leg and won the race with a dominant 27.02 finish, ultimately setting a world record at the last leg. In recognition of her outstanding performance, she was awarded a crown along with an additional bonus cash prize of $10,000 for her remarkable victory. However, she fell short in the women’s 100-meter backstroke finals and was placed in a shocking fifth place in the Greek leg, having won the finals in both legs. Now with everything in place, the swimmer from Queensland must be laser-focused on the 2024 Paris Olympics, aiming to replicate her recent outstanding performances and repeat her success from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

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