Megan McLoughlin’s barrel racing story is one of grit, determination and hope through innumerable medical challenges. It has been one hell of a ride.
Story Gabrielle Hall Photos John Kruger
One thing you quickly learn about Megan McLoughlin is that giving up is just not an option. She approaches life head-on, despite having faced more than most will in a lifetime.
She has a swag of accolades under her belt, the most recent of which was competing in the Australian Barrel Horse Association (ABHA) national finals in Tamworth. That’s quite an achievement for anyone, but Megan has just 7% vision, is a double-transplant recipient, a diabetic and is battling breast cancer, making the feat, quite simply, remarkable.
Out in the paddock with her horse, Biscuit, on the property in the Barossa Valley, SA, where she lives with husband Mark and their 2 children, Sam, 9, and Ella, 8, Megan’s positivity is infectious. “Get knocked down 7, get up 8,” she says. “It’s a Chinese proverb, but I think the joke is now, for me it’s more like get knocked down 735,000, get up 736,000.”
This story excerpt is from Issue #158
Outback Magazine: December/January 2025
