Fisher’s golden glow eases her Glasgow regrets
Mary Fisher is home and weighed down by gold.
To her massive para swimming medal collection can be added six gold medals from the Pan Pacific championships in Pasadena.
She set four Oceania records in the process – in the 50m, 100m and 400m freestyle and the 100m backstroke.
‘‘It was a great meet for me,’’ Fisher said.
‘‘I went over there looking to do personal best times and normally that leads to medals.’’
Fisher is blind and competes in the S11 category.
Nothing comes easy so when blind swimming was left off the Commonwealth Games swimming schedule in Glasgow it was just a matter of shrugging her shoulders and getting on with the job.
‘‘I would’ve so loved to have
‘‘I went[to the the Pan Pacific championships] looking to do personal best times and normally that leads to medals.’’ Mary Fisher
gone to Glasgow,’’ Fisher said.
‘‘They had one S10 event but unfortunately nothing in my classification.
‘‘I was so thrilled for Sophie [fellow para swimmer Sophie Pascoe, who won two golds in Glasgow], and Lauren [Boyle] of course.’’
Fisher can only hope the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast find room for blind swimming. She believes it is up to the host country as to what classifications are included.
Fisher, from Wellington, enjoyed the experience of compet- ing at the Rosebowl Aquatic Centre’s uncovered outdoor pool in Pasadena. With temperatures in the late 20 degrees Celsius and early 30C during afternoon sessions, Fisher believes she might have picked up a rare sun tan.
She was the mother of the team at age 21 and felt her team of eight had performed well with a return of nine gold, two silver and two bronze against 18 other countries.
Fisher and her Auckland-based coach Jon Shaw will now turn their attention to the national short course championships in Wellington from September 2-6.