At just 16, school girl Jacqueline Freney is beginning to realise her potential to be one of the great Paralympic swimmers. Born with cerebral palsy, Jacqueline followed in the footsteps of her swimming family and set herself the goal that she too would become a competitive swimmer.

In the lead up to her first Paralympic Games in Beijing, Jacqueline had hoped to medal but when she won three bronze, she was ecstatic. The Beijing Games were the best experience of her life and she hopes to continue on to London and beyond.

Jacqueline is coached by her father Michael, and she believes her dad and her grandfather Peter are the most influential people on her swimming career. At her first international competition, the 2007 US Paralympic Championships, Jacqueline performed exceedingly well against a strong international field, winning five gold in the 50m, 200m 400m 800m and 1500m freestyle events.

As well as swimming, Jacqueline loves history and travelling, combining the two on a trip to France, which she sees as the biggest and most exciting thing she has ever done. She also enjoys reading, spending time on the computer, going to the beach and playing with her dog.

When she is older and finished school, she wants to work with disabled children with the message that disabled people achieve every single day. With her life as an example, she is truly setting an admirable standard.