Coan Comes Home

Northeast Georgia welcomes home Paralympic gold medalist McKenzie Coan.

Well-wishers, including students from Toccoa Elementary School, were at Paul Anderson Park in Toccoa on Friday afternoon to greet Coan and congratulate her for her four medals at the Rio Paralympic Games.

Coan shows her medals to students from Toccoa Elementary School

Coan shows her medals to students from Toccoa Elementary School

Coan won three gold medals and one silver medal.

She said her success has not really completely sunk in yet.

“Right after we swam our relay and everything, I still could not believe I already had two gold medals and I had this opportunity to go out and swim on a relay besides some of my best friends and teammates and we came out with silver and I remember thinking, ‘We are who we always wanted to be.’,” said Coan. “We used to see the girls suit up and everything and going in for the relay and as we were walking back, I had this big acknowledgement alongside one of my teammates that we used to watch people go out there and do this and now we are doing this. It is the coolest thing ever. Now when I go to swim meets and stuff, kids come up and ask me to sign their cap. It was not too long ago that I was doing the exact same thing.”

Coan won gold medals in the women’s S7 50-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, and 400-meter freestyle, while taking silver in the 4 x 100 freestyle relay.

In the 50-meter freestyle, Coan set a Paralympic record in taking gold.

She said she has never been much of a sprinter, so for that event to be her first gold medal was unbelievable.

“Right after I looked up and saw Paralympic record and number one by my name on the board, I was like ‘I have a gold medal! I just became a gold medalist in the 50 free!’,” said Coan. “Then I look up and see my family with a ‘Fathead’ in the stands and that was probably the coolest moment ever, seeing that and being able to share that moment with my family and waving to them.”

Coan added that having the privilege of standing on the medal stand and hearing the national anthem play gave her an enormous sense of pride to represent not just herself, but representing the entire country.

The Clarkesville native is the daughter of Dr. Marc and Teresa Coan. Dr. Coan practices internal medicine at the Toccoa Clinic and the clinic organized Friday’s event.

They presented her with a book of well wishes written by area residents, a proclamation, and an American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol building.

She said all of the support she has received has meant the world to her.

“I received so many Facebook messages, so many cards, so much support day in and day out,” said Coan. “I would not have been able to get through all of this without that. To see all of these encouraging messages before each one of my races … it meant the absolute world to me. When I was down there on the deck about to dive in, I knew I was not alone. That meant the world to me to have people watching and sending messages. It is just absolutely incredible. For people to take time out of their busy lives and come here today and write those things to me is just amazing. I feel so blessed.”

As for what is next, Coan said she is headed back to college, but she will soon get back in the pool to train for the next world championships.