THE ROAD TO LONDON

Q And the London Paralympics were next?

A Then 2012. That was a magic year for me. London was incredible. I made the final of my main event, the 150m individual medley. I swam a personal best and came sixth but learned a lot from it. Sometimes, as an athlete, you get medal hungry. I learned that winning is not everything. All the hard years work and making a team is reward in itself. Winning a medal for your country is icing on the cake. It’s a privilege. There are 10,000 athletes at the Paralympics and not everyone gets a medal. It was a great learning experience for me. It made me stronger in 2013 when I went to the World Championships in Montreal and won a silver and two bronze. I was really proud of that. At the 2015 World Championships I backed it up with a silver in the individual medley.

Q You missed out on the 2016 Paralympics. I know that must have hurt. How did you deal with it?

A It’s been a year and a bit since the trials and the team was selected. I was first reserve and was praying that I’d get on the plane. I worked bloody hard. Being reserve made it harder because I was still training as if I was going. I had to have that mentality because I wanted to be there so badly. When that plane left without me it was just heart wrenching. I still watched all my mates race and was really happy for them. I haven’t given up though. I want to continue on and make Tokyo in 2020. I won’t give up till the fat lady sings.