Paralympian Raises Over $12,000 for Sporting Glory in Rio

Jeremy went blind when he was 14 years-old after his vision declined rapidly, leaving Jeremy with only 2 per cent of his original sight.

Despite this shock diagnosis, Jeremy worked hard to become a strong, dedicated athlete. Now, Jeremy is ready to compete at the 2016 Rio Games.

At the moment, Jeremy will have to stop his swim set, get out of the pool and check his iPad to know his next set. Jeremy’s friends are crowdfunding to help fund a waterproof ipad and expenses related to his training.

Jeremy trains at the local aquatic centre 6 days a week for 1.5 hours. This will be Jeremy’s 4th paralympics - unfortunately there isn’t much support for paralympians. Jeremy pays for his own coach and works as a masseuse to fund all his training. This work is physically draining for Jeremy - by the time he gets home, it is exhausting to hop in the pool for 2 hours.

Jeremy has a world record for the 50m, but it would be great for him to come home with a medal.

Jeremy is also ranked 3rd in the world paralympic titles for backstroke - he loves to swim as he can’t do any other sport. Despite trying to compete in triathlons they were a challenge for him - if you see Jeremy in the water, you can see just how much he loves it.

It is Jeremy’s dream to represent Australia - he’s the only paralympian from WA that has qualified for Rio. Thanks to the generosity of friends, family and Australians who saw Jeremy covered in the media, over $12,000 was raised to make Jeremy's dream a reality. Anyone who swims knows how dedicated you have to be - with the support Jeremy has now, he’s more motivated than ever.