Today Australian backstroker Meagen Nay took to Instagram to announce her retirement from the sport of swimming. The 26-year old Gold Coast native trained at St. Peter’s Western Swimming Club under Michael Bohl and made her international debut for Team Australia back in 2004.
In the pool, Nay’s most notable achievement was winning the 200m backstroke at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, setting a then-Games record of 2:07.56. Nay most recently finished fifth in the same event at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Out of the pool, however, Nay has had her share of personal struggles, after first losing her dad, Robert Nay, in a car accident in 1992. Tragedy struck a second time when Meagen’s brother, Amos, was killed in a car accident in 2009, at the time that Meagen was in Rome for that year’s World Championships.
In her own words, Nay gives credit to her coach, Bohl, and her mother for support and encouragement throughout her career. She remarks, “We have been through some hard times in life and life is life – fight for it.”
She certainly had her share of obstacles thrown in her path, both in her swimming career & in life. That she had the success that she enjoyed & the manner in which she did things do great credit to her as a competitor & as a person.
The very best wishes for her future.
I wish Meagen Nay the best of luck in the next phase of her life!