Madison’s twin sister Michaela had also hoped to qualify for Paris but narrowly missed out. The pair are are steeped in canoeing as their dad Mike (originally from Glasnevin) competed in the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. Madison grew up by the Potomac River in Maryland and competed for USA as a junior. After high school she spent a year in Slovenia; a hot-bed of canoeing, and still bases herself in Ljubljana for a lot of the season and has also spent time training at Lee Valley in London. She was 34th when she made her Irish debut at the 2021 Europeans, finished 33rd in them a year later and was 52nd at the 2023 World Championships. Her 23rd place at the 2023 European Games secured her Olympic debut and, like her teammates, preparation for Paris has taken precedence over competitions this season.

Madison juggles elite sport with studying neuroscience at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee.