Beginner’s Pluck: Paralympic champion swimmer Ellen Keane 

This highly readable memoir tells of Ellen’s struggles, triumphs, and insecurities, it offers practical advice, and much motivation

Paralympic gold medal winner Ellen Keane's 'Perfectly Imperfect' is an inspiring book for everyone — and a must-read for teenagers.

Born with one arm, Ellen grew up lacking confidence.

“On TV and in romcoms, the disabled person was always the villain or the sad person. None were in relationships or loved.”

In her teens, suffering a lack of confidence socially, she concentrated on swimming; at 13 she became Ireland’s youngest Paralympian. Afterwards, there were ups and downs, but she swam in two more Paralympics before covid hit.

“Covid was my only break from training,” she says. “The first time in nearly 20 years that I didn’t swim.

“During that time, I took a course in culinary entrepreneurship learning the practical side of cooking and business.”

After that break, she felt really happy to be back in the pool every day.

“The year of the Tokyo Paralympics was the best of my life.”

I loved training and when I won my gold medal, I felt a sense of calm.

Ellen is currently training for the 2024 Paralympics in Paris — one she swears will be her last.

In 2022, Ellen participated in RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars, reaching the final.

“After Paris I want to go into media, being the person in front of the camera. I love radio too. I’ve done a course and feel at home in the studio. It’s similar to being underwater.”

Who is Ellen Keane?

Date/place of birth: 1995/Dublin.

Education: Holy Faith, Clontarf; Kelly College — (boarding school in England.); The Institute of Education; TUI, Dublin, culinary entrepreneurship.

Home: Dublin.

Family: Mum and Dad, two brothers and a sister. “And my two sausage dogs, Denny and Rafa.”

The day job: Full-time athlete.

In another life: “If I had two hands, I’d be a hairdresser.”

Favourite writers: Marian Keyes; Cecelia Ahern.

Second book: “I’d love to do a kid’s book in the same format.”

Top tip: “Be as honest as you can.”

Instagram: @keane_Ellen

The debut

Perfectly Imperfect
(with Liadán Hynes)

Gill, €19.99/ Kindle, €12.77

This beautifully produced and compiled hardback is much more than a highly readable memoir. Telling of Ellen’s struggles, triumphs, and insecurities, it offers practical advice, and much motivation.

“I wrote the proposal, and Liadán worked closely off that. I wrote all the letters and cried with emotion.”

The verdict: Inspiring for everyone; a must-read for teenagers.