Sarah Rose first competed in swimming in 2001 after being inspired by the Sydney Paralympic Games. She moved speedily through the ranks and made her Australian debut two years later at the Canadian National Championships.

It didn’t take long for Sarah to realise her Paralympic dream as she was selected in the Australian swimming team for the 2004 Games.

The Pymble resident emerged from Athens with a bronze medal in the 50m butterfly and stamped her authority with a series of sterling performances in the following years.

Sarah narrowly missed out on claiming her second Paralympic medal with a fourth place finish in the 50m butterfly at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

A serious back injury threatened to rule Sarah out of the 2012 Paralympics, but she made an audacious return to the pool earlier this year in an attempt to stake her claim for a spot on the team for London.