DROITWICH paralympic swimmer Rebecca Redfern is one step away from reaching the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio.
Redfern, a member at Worcester Swimming Club, will compete at the British para-Swimming International Meet held in Glasgow from Saturday, April 23 to Wednesday, April 27 hoping to qualify for the Games.
Her qualification depends entirely on her performance in the 100m Breastroke on April 23.
Tollcross International Swimming Centre welcomed over 600 para-swimmers from around the world last July for the IPC Swimming World Championships and will play an integral part in the qualifying process.
The meeting is the only chance for para-swimmers to book their place in the Paralympics GB team.
At the age of nine, Redfern was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition, retinitis pigmentosa, which will lead to her becoming near or totally blind.
She is blind in dim light and has ‘tunnel vision’ with only a 10 degree visual field – compared to the 160 degree field of someone without visual impairment.
Redfern was classified as a visually impaired disability swimmer in late 2014 and is now part of the GB World Class potential programme, although in a probationary state until after Glasgow when all members of the programme will be reviewed.
Over the last 12 months, Redfern has competed at country, regional, national and international meets with a number of medals along the way.
She has also broken four British records in Breaststroke events in the S13 classification.
