Reid
Maxwell

Reid Maxwell is one of Canada’s brightest young Para swimming stars heading into LA28.

He broke five Canadian records at the 2024 Paralympic Swimming Trials and beat the A standard in the S8 400m freestyle and 100 backstroke to qualify for his first Paralympic Games at age 16.

At those breakthrough trials, he also lowered national marks in the 100 freestyle, 100 butterfly and 200 individual medley.

In no time he was a force on international waters.

At the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, he took the silver medal in the 400 free. Then a year later at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore, his worlds debut, he won silver in the men’s 200m individual medley with a Canadian record time of 2:26.72.

Maxwell was born missing his lower right leg and lives with Prune Belly Syndrome which is a partial or complete absence of stomach muscles.

He emerged on the national scene at the 2022 Canada Games in the Niagara Region. Maxwell won five medals in seven events including Alberta’s first gold of the Games with a victory in the 400 freestyle. He also won the 50 free and 100 free.

Maxwell made headlines as an 11-year-old when he amazingly played minor football in Alberta. As a youth he also cycled with the Juventus Cycling Club, did snowboard with CADS (Canadian Adaptive SnowSports) and competed in several triathlons.

He is coached by Australian Paul Birmingham, a three-time Olympic team coach, at the Edmonton Keyano Club.

Notable international results

2025 World Championships 200m individual medley 2^nd

2024 Paralympic Games 400m freestyle 2^nd