NAY Meagen < Back  
Sport Swimming
CGA Australia   
Gender Women
Born 05 Oct 1988 in Gold Coast, AUS
Height1.75 m
Weight 62 kg
Human Interest
General Interest
Other information RETHINKING RETIREMENT
At the end of 2012 she cut a training session short and told her coach Michael Bohl that she thought she was done with the sport. But while reading Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe's biography, she realised that once she quit she would have regrets and did not want to make a comeback in the future. It was this, along with encouragement from her boyfriend Mitch Larkin, that gave her the motivation to continue swimming. (heraldsun.com.au, 19 Dec 2012)

INSPIRATION
Her father, Robert, is a constant source of inspiration. After competing at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, he had to overcome an addiction to heroin before getting his life back on track as a coach and anti-drugs campaigner. He died in 1992 in a car accident when Meagen was age four. "I was too young to know dad. I've heard so many great stories about him. I think mum has every single newspaper clipping there is. It's such a shame I never got to know him. He had his bad times but it's inspiring to me that he got through it and got his life back together. That's the important side. That's what inspires me the most. He made some wrong choices. Anyone can make mistakes, and he made up for them." (SMH, 20 Apr 2008)

TRAGEDY
Her brother Amos Nay was killed in a car accident prior to the start of the 2009 World Championships in Rome, Italy. She competed in the preliminary heats of the 4x100m freestyle relay after hearing the news before forgoing the rest of her events. (ABC Grandstand, 28 Jul 2009)

TATTOOS
She has a tattoo of the Olympic rings and her brother's name on her wrists. (olympics.com.au, 24 Mar 2012)
Further Personal Information
Higher education Sports Marketing - Queensland University of Technology [QUT]: Brisbane, QLD, AUS
Languages English
Residence Brisbane, QLD, AUS
Sport Specific Information
Club / Team St Peters Western Swimming Club: Brisbane, QLD, AUS
General Interest
Hobbies Surfing, spending time with family. (heraldsun.com.au, 19 Dec 2012)
Injuries She suffered a shoulder injury in July 2014 and was forced to withdraw from Australian squad for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. (bbc.co.uk, 07 Jul 2014)

She injured her shoulder in 2008. (foxsports.com.au, 28 Mar 2008)

She has suffered from a bulging disc in her lower back. (NOC, 14 May 2008)
Memorable sporting achievement Winning two gold medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. (olympics.com.au, 24 Mar 2012)
Other sports She competed at national level in surf lifesaving and at state level in touch football. (olympics.com.au, 24 Mar 2012)
Famous relatives Her father Robert Nay swam in the 200m and 4x200m relay at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. Her boyfriend Mitch Larkin has also represented Australia in swimming. (heraldsun.com.au, 19 Dec 2012; foxsports.com.au, 28 Mar 2008)
Sport Specific Information
Why this sport? Her mother was a swim teacher and encouraged her to take up the sport.
General Interest
Hero / Idol Zimbabwean swimmer Kirsty Coventry. (Swimming Australia, 16 Jun 2010)
Awards and honours Along with her father Robert Nay, the pair became the first father and daughter combination to represent Australia at an Olympic Games and a Commonwealth Games in swimming. (twofishoutofwater.com, 2010)
Sport Specific Information
Name of coach Michael Bohl; Jacco Verhaeren [national]
When and where did you begin this sport? She took up swimming at age eight.
International Debut
Year 2004
Competing for Australia
Location Bendigo, VIC
Further Personal Information
Occupation Athlete
General Interest
Nicknames Megz, Nay-Nay (Swimming Australia, 16 Jun 2010)
Sporting philosophy / motto "Live well, laugh often and love much." (NOC, 14 May 2008)