London 2012 blog

I started swimming when I was five and started competing when I was about eight, for a local club in the diddy leagues. I swim and compete because I like it, it’s fun. I like being busy, I like being active. It’s as simple as that.

I was inspired to take it more seriously when I watched Nyree Lewis swim in the Athens 2004. She got her gold and I wanted to start competitively in disabled sport – I wanted to be her. Seeing her on TV really helped, it really struck a chord.

My first international competition was at the Durban 2006 World Championships. You can’t compete internationally until your 12 and I’d turned 12 two weeks earlier – I was the youngest ever selected.

Read more of “Inspiring young people about Paralympic sport”