John Maclean is an Australian motivational speaker, Ironman and Paralympian who rebuilt his life after a cycling accident left him paraplegic. Today, he is a global speaker known for his work on resilience, mindset and helping people navigate change.
In June 1988, while training on his bike near his hometown in Australia, John Maclean was struck by an eight-tonne truck. The impact caused devastating injuries, including multiple fractures to his pelvis and spine, a fractured sternum, punctured lungs and a broken arm. The accident left John Maclean paraplegic.
What followed was not simply a recovery, but the beginning of one of Australia’s most extraordinary sporting journeys. Despite the grief of what he had lost, the physical pain and the realities of life in a wheelchair, John made a decision. He would rebuild his strength and test himself against the toughest endurance events in the world.
WORLD-CLASS ENDURANCE AND SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS
In 1995, John Maclean made international sporting history, becoming the first wheelchair athlete to complete the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon. In 1997, he returned to the event and not only finished within the able-bodied cut-off times, but beat a third of the field, becoming the first-ever wheelchair category winner. In 1998, John became the first wheelchair athlete to swim the English Channel, completing the crossing in 12 hours and 50 minutes on his second attempt.
In 1998, John became the first wheelchair athlete to swim the English Channel, completing the crossing in 12 hours and 50 minutes on his second attempt.
John Maclean went on to represent Australia across multiple sports. He competed at the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games in wheelchair racing, sailed in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race in 2001, and completed the Molokai Ocean Challenge in 2005, one of the world’s toughest open water paddling events. In 2006, he competed in the invitation-only Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii, one of the most demanding endurance events in the world.
In 2007, John was introduced to rowing. Within months, he and his rowing partner won silver at the Rowing World Championships. They followed this with gold at an international regatta in Italy in 2008, before winning silver at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.
After 25 years as an incomplete paraplegic, John Maclean set himself a new goal — to walk again. Using carbon fibre leg braces and walking poles, he took his first steps and went on to complete the Nepean Triathlon in 2014, the same event he had been training for when his accident occurred 25 years earlier.
Staying true to his philosophy how far can you go? John has continued to take on new challenges. He returned to elite competition, qualifying to represent Australia at the 2022 World Cup in Poznan, Poland in Para-canoe. This marked the fifth time John Maclean has represented Australia, across five different sports. In 2024, he took on adaptive surfing and continues to compete.
“In business and in life, we all face obstacles and moments of change. Some of the challenges I’ve faced were forced on me, others I chose to take on, but the lesson is the same, it’s not the challenge that defines us, it’s how we respond. The most successful people I’ve met don’t avoid adversity, they use it. They turn it into energy that drives them forward. All of us can do the same. It starts with a decision.”
John Maclean
John Maclean works with organisations to build resilience, navigate change and perform under pressure.
SPEAKING
FACE-TO-FACE PROGRAMS
E-LEARNING PROGRAMS
BOOKS
John Maclean x Ken Ware
In April 2013, after 25 years in a wheelchair, John began working with NeuroPhysics therapist Ken Ware. What followed was the start of an extraordinary new chapter. Using specialised therapy and with the support of carbon fibre leg braces, John took his first steps towards achieving his goal of walking again. While the wheelchair remains his primary mode of movement, this progress has opened up new possibilities. It is an ongoing journey, and John continues to work on improving his mobility.
CONTACT US
AMANDA@JOHNMACLEAN.COM.AU
We partner with organisations, leaders, teams and individuals to drive extraordinary results.
Acknowledgement of Country
In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today. We seek to draw on this rich heritage to better understand our collective duty to nurture and care for the environment.