Three -times Paralympic gold medallist Margaret McEleny

Twenty years ago, swimming legend Margaret McEleny came home from the Games in Athens with a gold and two silver medals.

It turned out it would be her fourth and final Games, bringing her medal haul at the Paralymics to an incredible total of 15.

Months later, she was forced to retire, after having a life-saving tracheostomy that brought her days in the pool to a premature end.

Margaret McEleny (Image: George Munro)

Even in the run up to the 2004 Paralympics it was only Margaret's sheer bravery and determination matched by that of her surgeon's that got her to those games in the first place.

But Margaret, who was made an MBE in 2000 for her years of service to disabled swimming, has been beating all the odds ever since a life-changing accident left her paralysed when she was only 18 years old.

Margaret McEleny winning Silver in Athens (Image: George Munro)

Now a coach with her club the legendary Port Glasgow Otters, Margaret, aged 59, who lives in MacLehose Court, said: "The highlights of it all was winning my own individual gold at the Sydney Games and carrying the flag for my country at the opening ceremony in Australia.

"I loved everything about the Paralympics and swimming. I trained every single day, challenging myself to go harder and faster. They called me 'Mad Mags'.

"I wasn't ready to stop swimming in 2004. I was still at the top of my game. But I was forced to because of my health. I needed a tracheostomy, and after that I couldn't go in the pool. 

"It was a really difficult time, but I started coaching, and that gave me a focus.

"I love coaching; it is my way of giving back to a sport that has given me so much.

Margaret McEleny inducted in to Scottish Sports Hall of Fame (Image: George Munro)

"I would never have made Athens if it wasn't for my surgeon Ken McKenzie at the Royal Infirmary. I was very, very lucky.

"He knew how much it meant to me to make it, and he never gave up on me. He gave me operations, and patched me up to help me delay the tracheostomy.

"I actually gave Ken my gold medal from Athens as a thank you, because I wouldn't have won it without him."

Margaret was 28 years old when she was persuaded by former Paralympian Peter Stanton to give swimming a chance.

She joined the Port Glasgow Otters, a swimming club set up for young people and adults with disabilities.

She said: "I had never really been in to sports growing up. But I went into the pool once and I never looked back.

"I loved the feeling of the water, I loved the challenge, I loved trying harder and harder."

Soon Margaret, who was coached by another Inverclyde legend, Eddie McCluskey, was rising through the ranks, before she was marked out as potential Paralympian and brought into the Team GB camp.

The rest, as they say, is history. Trailblazer Margaret who swam the 50-metre breast stroke and the 150m individual medley, and also competed in the relays, made her debut at Barcelona in 1992, winning a bronze and silver.

Margaret at home (Image: George Munro)

Then came Atlanta in 1996, where she picked up a gold in the 4x50m freestyle relay, two silvers, and four more bronze medals.

Four years later, in Sydney she was asked to carry the Team GB flag at the opening ceremony and went on to win her own individual gold - and another two bronze.

Now one of the most successful Paralympians of all time, Margaret won her final medals in Athens in 2004.

"I loved every minute of my swimming career," she said. "I travelled all over at World and European Championships.

"My coach Eddie came to all four Games with me and it meant so much when he carried the flag with me."

Margaret grew up in Branchton with mum Isobel, a domestic in the NHS, dad Jim, an undertaker, her brother Jim and sister Liz.

She attended St Andrew's Primary and then Notre Dame before going to college to study nursing.

They later moved to Adelaide Street after Margaret's accident left her in a wheelchair.

Margaret added: "Sadly my mum died from cancer when she was only 60 years old and my dad died a year and a half later."

At the age of 18 her life took a tragic turn when she fell on a escalator and suffered a major head injury, which left her in a coma.

Initially she was paralysed from the neck down and lost her sight, and had to spend a year in hospital.

Thanks to her sheer grit she embarked on a remarkable recovery, regaining her sight and also the use of her arms.

Margaret McEleny, Ian Gowans and Kenny Cairns with Inverclyde Provost and councillors at Greenock Town Hall before the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta. (Image: Newsquest)

Margaret said: "I think it took me a few years to come to term with what had happened and the idea that that was as much of a recovery as I was going to make.

"I think I thought I could regain more movement."

Ten years after Margaret was starting her journey to become one of the country's greatest ever Paralympians.

In addition to her MBE, she was invited to take part in the celebrations for the London Paralympics in 2012 - and in that same year was inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.

Some of her friends are still competing, among them her former room-mate Jeanette Chippington, who started out as a swimmer and then turned to canoeing.

Jeanette's participation in this summer's Games in Paris marked her eighth Paralympics - and unsurprisingly, Margaret was glued to her TV set at home watching all the action.

"I loved watching the Games," she said. "So many of my friends, like Jeanette, are still competing. My friend Paul Noble was commentating, along with Ellie Simmonds, who was also my team-mate.

"Clare Balding also used to be a presenter when I was competing and she was always so interested in our stories.

"I think the Paralympics has got bigger and better and access to sport for disabled athletes is improving all the time.

"It all really took off after we were funded by National Lottery."

Margaret is still fighting fit, living with her six-year-old Yorkshire terrier Clyde and going for two-hour treks every day, as well as coaching two days a week.

"I don't like just staying in the house," she added. "I am always out and about."