Ben Grainger, a Team Microgaming para-swimming athlete, recently participated in the British Para International meet which incorporated the Team GB Paralympic Trials.
At 13 years old, Ben was the youngest male in his class and was sharing the pool with Paralympians and UK and world record holders.
Ben managed to complete the entire program of seven eligible events in Glasgow with the highlights of the program, which lasted five days, being a 18-second PB time in the 200m individual medley as well as a 20-second PB in a 400m freestyle event which saw him progress to a British senior final for the first time in his swimming career.
He then went on to equal the massive drop in time from the morning’s heats in the final and made up another four places to finish as the fastest athlete in his age in Britain.
Lee Holland, the Head Coach for Isle of Man Swimming, revealed that much of Ben’s success at the trials was due to the many hours that the youngster had put in during his week on a training camp in Malta last month together with his able-bodied team-mates from Team AXA loMSC.
According to Holland, Ben has never been treated any differently to his able-bodied team-mates and does not want to be. He added that he competes every session against swimmers of his own age and older and that it is this determination that is seeing him set apart from disability athletes across the UK. Holland went on to say that he, as well as Ben’s parents and the team are extremely proud of what he continues to achieve.