Team Microgaming para-swimming athlete Ben Grainger recentlytook part in the British Para International meet, incorporating the Team GB Paralympic Trials.
Ben was the youngest male in his class (S10) at 13-years-old and was sharing the pool with Paralympians, British and world record holders to name but a few.
Ben completed the full programme of seven eligible events in Glasgow in a 100 per cent record of personal best times.
His highlights of the five-day programme were an 18-second PB time in the 200m individual medley and a 20-second PB in his favoured 400m freestyle event, in which he progressed to a British senior final for the first time in his fledgling swimming career.
Ben went on in the final to equal the huge drop in time from the morning’s heats and made up a further four places to finish as fastest athlete in his age in Britain.
Isle of Man Swimming head coach Lee Holland attributes much of Ben’s success at the trials to the many hours that the youngster put in during his week in Malta on a training camp last month with his able-bodied team-mates from Team AXA IoMSC.
‘Ben has never been treated any differently to his able-bodied team-mates, and nor does he want to be.
Ben competes every session against swimmers his own age and older and it is this determination that is seeing him set apart from disability athletes across the UK.
‘Both myself, Ben’s parents and the team are very proud of what he continues to achieve.’
The recently-awarded Isle of Man Sport Disability Personality of the year continues to attract the attention of British Para Swimming’s top coaches who are carefully tracking his progress with consideration of world class programmes and the Tokyo Paralympics in mind.
Ben was one of two Para Swimming athletes who qualified for the event, unfortunately team-mate Tom Callister could not attend due to school commitments.
The team will continue to work towards both mainstream and para events over the coming months culmination with the British Summer Championships in Sheffield in July.