Golden Girl pays tribute to late father after stirring Olympic win

“I like to think I have a little superpower, and that’s my dad. I believe he was with me tonight."

2 min read

July 31, 2024 - 10:41AM

Family Life

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Australian Golden Girl Kaylee McKeown has paid tribute to her late father after winning the 100m backstroke gold medal at the Paris Olympics.

The 23-year-old defended her crown after a thrilling race that saw her edge out American swimmers Regan Smith and Katharaine Berkoff.

She will have a chance to add a second gold medal in the 200m backstroke later this week.

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Kaylee lost her father, Sholto, in August 2020 after a battle with brain cancer.

Kaylee McKeown paid tribute to her late father Sholto after winning gold in the 100m backstroke. Picture: Getty

"I like to think I have a little superpower"

7News reports Sholto’s dream was to watch both his daughters, Kaylee and her older sister Taylor, at the Olympics, but he tragically passed away before Kaylee’s first Olympics.

Heartbreakingly, Sholto would have seen Kaylee swim at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics if not for the delay due to Covid-19.

Speaking to 9News after her win on Wednesday morning, Kaylee said her dad helped her secure her win.

“Expectation, I think, is a privilege, and if you get that privilege, it’s something special,” she said.

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“I like to think I have a little superpower, and that’s my dad. I believe he was with me tonight.

“It feels really nice. I wasn’t sure if I could get up and get there tonight, the Americans gave me a red-hot push.”

The Aussie champion then became emotional when speaking about her late father and the rest of her family.

“He’d be extremely proud,” she said. “It’s great to have my family here because I know that he’s here in spirit.

“No words can really amount to how much I appreciate my family’s support. They deal with a lot of s***, so thank you for all of that.”

Kaylee with her dad Sholto, whose memory she described as having a "superpower". Picture: Instagram

"He is a precious and timeless memory tied closely to my heart"

Previously, Kaylee had said her dad’s passing was “one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to come to terms with”.

“The man who once taught me how to walk, talk and live is no longer a phone call away,” she said.

“Instead, he is now a precious and timeless memory tied closely to my heart.

“I will never understand why bad things happen to good people, but I know now that time waits for nobody. Whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times, it’s the only time we’ve got.

“Sometimes there will be no next time, no second chance, no time out. Sometimes it is now or never, and that is exactly how my dad taught me to live my life.

“I’ll never forget how selfless my dad was, he was the greatest dad I could’ve asked for.

“He gave me so much in life, the best childhood a kid could ask for. I’d do anything just to be able to speak to him again.