EP14: TATYANA MCFADDEN

This week I’m speaking with Tatyana McFadden. Born with Spina bifida and paralyzed from the waist down, she spent the first six years of her life in a Russian orphanage with very little medical attention. Without a wheel chair to aid her, Tatyana learned to walk using only her arms, and in doing so began building the physical strength and mental will power that would eventually lead to her becoming the fastest woman in the world.

In 2004, Tatyana made her Paralympic debut in Athens as the youngest member of Team USA, where she took home the first two of her medals at just 15 years old. She has competed in every Paralympics since, and in the summer of 2021 took home the twentieth medal of her career at the Tokyo games.

It was during her freshman year of high school where Tatyana first experienced the discrimination people living with disabilities often face, setting her on a path of advocacy, resulting in the passing of ‘Tatyana’s Law’, which requires schools in the state of Maryland to give students with disabilities equal access and the opportunity to compete in interscholastic athletics. A law which would ultimately became federal legislation.

Having 24 World Major Marathon wins under her belt, including four consecutive Grand Slams, her passion for racing and impact on the sport is undeniable. During the course of our conversation, we discuss her humbling foray into the Winter Games, the drive that keeps her going on and off the track, as well as the importance of perception.

With a natural humility and accomplishments that have at times even surprised herself, please enjoy Tatyana McFadden on The Days Between..