NSW teenager Kate Wilson had a huge 2016. Not only did she make her Paralympic debut at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, she  mastered the art of juggling her school studies as she completed the HSC.

Born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism that affects the limbs, Kate began swimming as a child on the recommendation of her paediatrician. By the age of nine, she was competing in interschool competitions and in 2012, she was invited to an AIS Road to Rio camp for junior developing swimmers. Kate says meeting the Australian team at the camp was one of the best experiences of her life.

Motivating it was, as the following year, she won her first medals – two gold and two silver at the 2013 Australian Multiclass Championships, giving her the confidence to commit herself to putting in the hard work to make the 2016 Australian Paralympic Team.

At …

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Date of birth
4 June 1998
Sport
Para-swimming
Impairment
Physical Impairment – Achondroplasia
How acquired
Birth
Residence
Kingscliff, NSW
Occupation
Student
Started competing
2013
First competed for Australia
2015
Sport career highlights

Winning her first medal at the 2013 Australian Swimming Championships in the 50m breaststroke

Greatest sporting moments

Ellie Simmons winning the 200m IM in London

Heroes/role models

Ellie Simmons

Disciplines

  • Sport: Para-swimming Discipline: 4x50m freestyle relay Classification: S6
  • Sport: Para-swimming Discipline: 100m breastroke Classification: SB6
  • Sport: Para-swimming Discipline: 100m freestyle Classification: S6
  • Sport: Para-swimming Discipline: 200m individual medley Classification: SM6
  • Sport: Para-swimming Discipline: 50m freestyle Classification: S6

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