Ironman John Maclean awarded Hall of Fame status for heroics in wheelchair and on his own two feet

John Maclean has raced at Olympics and Paralympics, rowed to medals, raced a Sydney to Hobart, swum the English Channel and incredibly learnt how to walk again after almost three decades in a wheelchair.

MIRACLE MAN JOHN MACLEAN AT NEPEAN TRIATHLON

• John Maclean races again
• Miracle man back on his feet

HE’S raced at Olympics and Paralympics, rowed to medals, raced a Sydney to Hobart, swum the English Channel and incredibly learnt how to walk again after almost three decades in a wheelchair.

Now partial paraplegic John Maclean — who conquered the toughest triathlon in the world, the Hawaii ironman, in a wheelchair and hand cycle — has been inducted into Triathlon Australia’s Hall of Fame.

The honour came an extraordinary 26 years after the former rugby league player was hit by a truck while training for a triathlon in Sydney’s west.

Olympic and Paralympic sportsman John Maclean has left his wheelchair behind.

And it came two years after Maclean finally did that race, the Nepean Triathlon, on his own two feet.

After being hit by a truck in 1988, Maclean was left with a broken back, a pelvis broken in four places, two shattered arms, broken ribs and a punctured lung. Now, thanks to tremor therapy, Maclean is able to walk again for short periods of time.

But from his chair, Maclean took on and conquered the world — and arguably the toughest one day multi-endurance event in the world — the Hawaii ironman.

In his first attempt in 1995 he failed to make the 17 hour cut off time.

John Maclean has regained some use of his legs. Pic Brett Costello

A year later he made it under the cut but the result was deemed unofficial because a puncture had delayed him too long in the bike leg.

In 1997 Maclean finally became the first disabled athlete to finish Hawaii within able-bodied cut-off time, completing the race in an extraordinary 12 hours 21 minutes.

John Maclean conquers personal Everest by completing Nepean triathlon

John Maclean with his wife Amanda and son Jack in Penrith. Pic Brett Costello

Several weeks later he also competed at the world championships in Perth to win his second Olympic distance triathlon.

But in the wake of regaining movement in his legs, Maclean said he believed his greatest moments are the little things most people take for granted.

“The feeling of being able to pick up my son without support. Wow. That’s my pure gold medal moment nowadays,’’ he told The Daily Telegraph after regaining movement.

“It’s taken me 25 years to walk from the car to the door. That’s special to me.

“Walk holding an umbrella. These are dreams come true that I never even dreamt about.

“For me now it’s just about putting one foot in front of the other and seeing where it takes me.’

Ryan Bailie, who won Olympic selection on Saturday, was named Australian male triathlete of the year at the awards on the Gold Coast on Sunday night for numerous top 10 placings on the world championship tour.

Liz Blatchford was named female triathlete of the year for podiuming at the Hawaii Ironman.

Originally published as Ironman John Maclean awarded Hall of Fame status for heroics in wheelchair and on his own two feet