{{Short description|Australian Paralympic athlete (1966–2020)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}} {{Use Australian English|date=April 2015}} {{Infobox sportsperson| | name = Madelyn Ehlers | image = 150600 - Madelyn Ehlers - 3a - 2000 Sydney media guide scan.jpg | imagesize = | caption = 2000 Australian Paralympic team portrait of Ehlers | fullname = | nicknames = | nationality = {{AUS}} | club = | collegeteam = | birth_date = {{birth date|1966|2|17|df=y}} | birth_place = Brisbane, Queensland | death_date = {{death date and age|2020|12|29|1966|2|17|df=y}} | death_place = Acacia Ridge Queensland Australia | height = | weight = | medaltemplates= {{MedalSport |Athletics}} (F20) {{MedalCompetition|Paralympic Games}} {{MedalSilver | 1992 Madrid | Women's Shot Put}} {{MedalSilver | 1992 Madrid | Women's Discus}} }}
'''Madelyn Ehlers''' (17 February 1966 – 29 December 2020)<ref name=media>{{cite book|title=Australian Media Guide : 2000 Paralympic Games|year=2000|publisher=Australian Paralympic Committee|location=Sydney}}</ref> was a Paralympic athletics competitor with an intellectual disability. She won two silver medals at the 1992 Paralympic Games for Persons with Mental Handicap held in Madrid, Spain.
She was born on 17 February 1966) in Brisbane, Queensland.<ref name=media/> She was born with brain damage and didn't speak until she was six.<ref name=ehlers>{{cite web|title=Madelyn Ehlers|url=http://www.brisbane-stories.webcentral.com.au/roundtheridge/01_cms/details.asp?ID=57|website=Around the Ridge|accessdate=13 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427111417/http://www.brisbane-stories.webcentral.com.au/roundtheridge/01_cms/details.asp?ID=57|archive-date=27 April 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> She became interested in athletics when working at a Red Cross sheltered workshop.<ref name=ehlers/> The Endeavour Foundation assisted her in her athletics career.<ref name=ehlers/>
At the 1992 Paralympic Games for Persons with Mental Handicap in Madrid, Spain, she won silver medals in the Women's Shot Put and Women's Discus.<ref name=medalists>{{cite web|title=Madrid 1992 Paralympic Medallists|url=https://paralympicanorak.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/madrid-1992-paralympic-medallists/|website=paralympicanorak|date=14 October 2012 |accessdate=13 April 2015}}</ref> She did not compete at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics due her events not being on the program.<ref name=ehlers/> Competing at the 1998 IPC Athletics World Championships, she finished fourth in the Women's Shot Put.<ref name=aa>{{cite web|title=Marilyn Ehlers|url=http://athhistory.imgstg.com/athletes/athlete6470.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150427143319/http://athhistory.imgstg.com/athletes/athlete6470.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=27 April 2015|website=Athletics Australia Historical Results|accessdate=13 April 2015}}</ref> At the 2000 Sydney Paralympics, she finished sixth in the Women's Javelin F20 and seventh in the Women's Shot Put F20.<ref name=aa/>
After her retirement from athletics, she took up coaching and ten pin bowling.<ref name=ehlers/> In 2009, she was working at Wesley Mission Work Solutions.<ref name=ehlers/>
Madelyn died in the same year as her father (2020) after a brief but ravaging battle with cancer.
In 1993, she was awarded the Brisbane Lord Mayor Australia Day Award.<ref>{{cite web|title=Medlyn Ehlers|url=http://www.paralympic.org.au/athletes/athleteprofile3929.html|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20001204130000/http://www.paralympic.org.au/athletes/athleteprofile3929.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 December 2000|website=Australian Paralympic Committee 2000 archived website|accessdate=13 April 2015}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist|1}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ehlers, Marilyn}} Category:Paralympic athletes for Australia Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 1992 Summer Paralympics Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Paralympics Category:Australian women discus throwers Category:Australian women javelin throwers Category:Australian women shot putters Category:Intellectual disability-category Paralympic competitors Category:Athletes from Brisbane Category:1966 births Category:2020 deaths Category:Competitors in the sport of athletics with intellectual disabilities Category:20th-century Australian sportswomen Category:Sportswomen from Queensland