Alice Tai

Alice - small in stature, huge in resolve! When it became apparent we could nominate someone to be a torch bearer the name of one girl immediately was on our lips, Alice. First impressions, a quiet, cheerful, keen new year 7. Very quickly the list of attributes grew. She was born with severe bilateral talipes and has endured 13 operations to date. Her introduction to swimming was purely for physiotherapy reasons but her talent quickly became evident. She then progressed from novice leagues to being selected to swim at the Junior Nationals for GB disabled swimmers. She was finally classified as disabled in category S10 in September 2010 and has been selected for the GB Talent Squad. She is currently in plaster, yet again, following more surgery but when asked about her future goals her eyes light up. Her long term goal is to represent her Country by winning Gold in Paralympics 2016, her short term goal is to medal at the UK Student Games in Sheffield Sept 2011. When talking to Alice she is modest about her achievements but her inner strength and sheer determination to match and exceed the achievements of her role model Natalie Du Toit is evident. She rarely lets her daily discomfort and the relentless on-going treatment get her down. Both her swimming club and her school believe she is an inspiration to others and most worthy of this honour.