Meet Anna

What made you decide to get into swimming?

When I was a young child my Consultant told my parents that swimming would be a good way to maintain and improve the muscle power in my leg affected by polio. My parents enrolled me into the local disability swimming club and that started my lifelong love of swimming.

How long have you been a swimmer?

I started swimming when I was three years old and have never stopped. However, the day I retired from competitive swimming I gave up morning training!

Which teams did you/do you swim for?

I swam Internationally for over a decade. During that time I completed for Great Britain in three Paralympic Games, World and European Championships. I also swam for Scotland in the mainstream Commonwealth Games in Canada and at the British Championships from the age of 11. I held the backstroke Scottish record for 6 years at the Scottish Disability Sport national championships.

How many hours did you/do you train per week?

I swam six days a week, in eight sessions. In addition, circuit training, weights, flexibility and mental preparation were part of my weekly training schedule. During my competitive career I was coached by some fantastic coaches who were often giving up their time and energy to enable swimmers to reach their full potential. I could not have reached mine without their dedication and support.

What's your favourite gala/competition?

That's hard to answer, winning my first medal at the age of five for swimming two widths lit the spark! Aged 9 competing at the British Polio Games and chatting to Paralympian Trevor French inspired me to work harder and follow in his footsteps. Making life long friendships while competing within the Scottish team at the British Championships in Darlington and Sheffield. These were the roots to the international career that would come later.

What's your favourite event?

The Paralympic Games are special. I competed in Seoul, South Korea 1988, Barcelona, Spain 1992 and Atlanta, USA 1996.

What's your favourite stroke?

Backstroke, the best stroke in the world!

What's your best race?

In the heat of the 100m S9 backstroke at the Paralympic Games in Atlanta my goggles came off and I ended up in 9th place. I thought I had blown it. Luckily for me the Swedish swimmer got disqualified and I got into the final in 8th place. I saw the final as a second chance. With a new pair of goggles I took over two seconds off my PB time. The fastest time I have ever swam before, or since. I won medals at European and World level, but not at a Paralympic Games, however I consider my last 100m backstroke final in Atlanta as the best race i ever swam.

What's your preferred pre-race snack?

I have tried many different snacks over the years, but I do remember the 'jelly babies' phase with fondness.

What would you say to encourage future swimmers to get involved?

Swimming is a sport that anyone can do regardless of ability. If you want to keep fit or compete, swimming has a pathway that you can access. My swimming improved when I began to be believe in myself and my abilities to succeed. There is no short cut to success, but hard work and dedication can reap rewards.