Teigan Roosmalen

Teigan Van Roosmalen loves the water. She is a professional swimmer, loves surfing and going to the beach and is also a surf lifesaver. At just 17, she is on her way up in the world of swimming and has a prosperous career ahead of her.

Teigan won gold and broke the world record in the 100m butterfly at the 2007 Arafura Games in Darwin. She also performed well at the 2007 Telstra Australian Short Course Championships. Teigan was born with Ushers Syndrome, a hereditary disease affecting her hearing, and is the youngest person in the world to receive a cochlear implant. She also has retinitis pigmentosa. Her disability does not cause her any trouble and once gave her the chance to compete at the Deaf Olympics, which she believes to be the biggest thing in which she has ever taken part.

A thrill seeker at heart, Teigan loves scary rides at theme parks as well as shopping with friends and spending as much time as she can at the beach – a place that consumes much of her life. Her older brother competed at the Australian Surf Titles and she appeared on NBN promoting surf lifesaving. Her favourite television show is even Home and Away.

Having appeared on the cover of the 2006 Central Coast phone book and having been inducted as a sporting hero on the Powerhouse Wall of Fame, Teigan is a star on the rise and is aiming for gold at the Beijing Games.