Ellen Keane bowed out of international competition with a sixth-place finish at the La Défense Arena in Paris this morning – saying her final swim was for “little Ellen” who competed in the Paralympics for the first time at the age of just 13.
The five-time Paralympian was not expected to qualify from the heat of her S9 100m backstroke heat and so it proved as her time of 1:17.63 was not enough to make tonight’s final.
Keane (29), who finished fourth in the final of her strongest event, the SB8 100m breaststroke, on Friday, had entered the backstroke race more as a farewell swim than to try win a third Paralympic medal.
“As hard as it was coming fourth, I was getting so much love and support from everyone, that’s really what helped me,” said Keane.
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“It was so lovely to see the people who made the effort who reached out, all of my Dancing with the Stars family were in touch with me and it was really lovely to see the people I have outside of sport as well.
“I guess that has kind of been my biggest fear, in the Paralympic world I have found my space and I’m so able to be myself here without a care in the world.
“And I really hope that when I leave the sport I’m able to find somewhere I love as much as I loved this.
“So, to have that event [backstroke] as a care-free event is the most amazing thing, even last night I said to Nicole [Turner] before I got to bed, ‘Why can’t I just keep swimming and do events that don’t matter getting in like you are a kid?’
“And that’s what this race was, when you are a kid and you are just excited to get in and swim and who knows what will happen. And that’s exactly what it was, so that swim was more for little Ellen than it was for anyone else.”
Naturally, Keane was emotional in the mixed zone afterwards but said swimming had changed her life for the positive.
“I definitely don’t think I’d have the confidence I do [without swimming]. I think the age I was when I started swimming, I was really lucky to get involved when I did,” she said.
“I know people who are roughly the same age, maybe a little bit older or younger, who have disabilities as well and they are struggling with their self-confidence and their self-acceptance.
“I know I got that from swimming and that’s why I’m so passionate about talking about it and talking about inclusion and confidence and body positivity because at the end of the day the feelings we all have are human.
“The feelings that we all have are human, just because we look a bit different doesn’t mean we don’t understand those human emotions.
“I just try to keep talking about that and repeat that message. I know I wouldn’t be as confident as I am without sport, without swimming.”
The gold medal win in Tokyo was the high point of her career in terms of success but the Clontarf native says the Paris Paralympics will retain a huge place in her heart.
“Every Games is different. Tokyo was the highlight for me professionally because I did reach the top.
“I had the swim of my life that everyone looks for, but I guess these Games are probably my highlight in terms of feeling the team and feeling the love.”
