Revealed: The blink-and-you’ll miss it detail that shows how Olympics hero Kaylee McKeown took her dad into the pool with her four years after his tragic death from cancer
- McKeown fought back from fourth place to win the 100m backstroke
- An emotional tribute to her father after the victory
- Successfully defended the crown she won in Tokyo
Australian gold medallist Kaylee McKeown paid a moving tribute to her late father Sholto on Wednesday morning after winning the 100m backstroke, but she also took an emotional memory of him with her to the pool in Paris.
The 23-year-old made an incredible comeback to beat American world record holder Regan Smith after finishing fourth at the turn, and also set a new Olympic record.
“I think I have a little superpower and that’s my dad,” McKeown said immediately after the race.
“I believe he was with me tonight, so I’m over the moon.”
And Sholto was with her, in a way that all her fans could see if they looked closely at her right foot.
There, McKeown got a tattoo that reads “I’ll always be with you,” a clear reference to Sholto, who lost his battle with brain cancer in August 2020.
He had tried to stay long enough to see her compete at the Tokyo Olympics, where she also won gold in the 100-meter backstroke. But she died when the Games were postponed due to the pandemic.
Kaylee McKeown took inspiration from a tattoo of her late father (circled) when she fought back to win gold in the 100m backstroke in Paris on Wednesday morning
Sholto McKeown (pictured with Kaylee) lost his battle with brain cancer in August 2020
Before starting her race, the 23-year-old looks at the “I’ll always be with you” tattoo on her right foot as she prepares to launch herself off the wall
When her father was asked what he would have said to her if he could have seen the victory in Paris, McKeown, who used the swear word on live television after her win in Tokyo, replied: ‘I’m not going to swear, he would be so proud.
“It’s great that my family is here because I know he’s with us in spirit.”
She then broke her promise not to swear when she texted her mother Sharon and sister Taylor.
“There are no words to describe how much I appreciate their support. They’re dealing with a lot of shit, so thank you for that.”
Her words echoed what she told her fans as she emerged from the pool after winning gold in Tokyo. She blew a kiss to her father immediately after the victory and said: ‘I hope you are proud of me, and I will continue to be proud.’
McKeown also shared how the tattoo inspires her when she goes racing.
McKeown said after the win: ‘I like to think I have a little superpower and that’s my dad’
“It’s just that I can see the ‘be with you,’” she explained, referring to what crosses her gaze when her feet are against the wall at the start of her backstroke events.
“It’s really cool to see that because I know he’ll be with me and that’s really valuable.”
Before the Tokyo Games, she said the postponement had helped her prepare for the event and given her extra precious moments with her father.
“My father is my biggest inspiration in many ways,” she said.
“I use it in the last 50 kilometers of my race, and I say, ‘Come on, Dad, help me get to the finish line,’ because I know it’s there.”
McKeown admitted she had battled demons in the run-up to Tokyo, but said they made the victory even sweeter.
“It’s not necessarily what I’ve been through – everyone has their own journey – but mine was just really hard,” she explained.
“I wouldn’t want it any other way, because I don’t think I would be where I am today without all those events.”