Jonathan makes a splash on world stage

A YOUNG Killaloe swimmer’s phenomenal success continued when he finished fifth in the World Swimming Paralympic Championships in Eindhoven recently.
Jonathan McGrath was the youngest member of the Paralympic Council of Ireland’s team, which enjoyed great success in the championships. Four athletes achieved personal bests with the Killaloe teenager finishing fifth in the final of the 400m freestyle (S8 class). The 17-year-old produced an outstanding performance to set a new personal best of 4.52:69.
Speaking afterwards an excited McGrath said, “It couldn’t have gone any better for me in the final tonight. It’s my first appearance at a world championships and to make a final and an eight second lifetime best, I’m chuffed. I couldn’t have asked for anymore.”
Commenting after the competition, Dave Malone, head of Paralympic Swimming and former Paralympic medallist was very impressed with his performance.
“Jonathan McGrath had an outstanding performance in an extremely well-paced race throughout; a great achievement to finish fifth in his first world championships against a quality world field.
“There was good performances overall showing grit and determination. Very promising swimming from a young team shows great promise for the future,” he said.
Cheered on by his parents, Betty and Christy and sister, Laura, Jonathan’s performance exceeded his own expectations.
His mother, Betty said Jonathan was “on cloud nine” after the race. “It was a great boost for him to perform so well in the world championships. It was a very tactical race and it is all down to how you perform on the day. He has worked very hard during the year and it was great to see him getting a reward for all his training.
“It is not a job for Jonathan, it is a passion. He will get one week off before he returns to swimming training,” she said.
He trained every day after the championships with the Irish team and returned to Killaloe following a flight to Dublin Airport on Sunday evening.
While most successful swimmers start training for competitions at the age or nine or ten, Jonathan was a late starter and only took the sport seriously at the age of 15.
Encouraged by his parents and tutored by some of the top swimming coaches in the country, Jonathan has enjoyed a meteoric rise from junior to senior ranks.
In recent months he won a silver medal in the 400m freestyle at the German International Championships in Berlin, two bronze medals in the 50m and 100m competitions in the Czech Republic and four gold medals in the Irish Water Association’s swimming championships in Dublin. He competed against Christof Boycard from Germany, who is rated third in the world in the Paralympic 400m freestyle competition.
Having achieved his target set earlier this year of completing the 400m freestyle event within five minutes, Jonathan knew this would place him in the reckoning for a place of the Paralympic Council of Ireland team.
His achievements have been the fruits of his hard work and dedication over the last two years. Six days a week, he is in the pool at the University of Limerick for 7am under the eye of his coach, Eoin Carroll and trains until about 10.15. 
A member of the Limerick Swimming Club, he also travels to Dublin regularly for training under the stewardship of the head of Paralympic Swimming, David Malone and high performance coach, Sandra Cole.
In July 2009, he became internationally carded and is now considered a high performer swimmer and an elite athlete in Paralympic terms.  In fact, he is ranked fifth in the European ranking and eighth in the world. This ranking helps him get the best advice and back up support in terms of nutrition, fitness and physiotherapy.
His fairytale rise to success started in May 2008 when he was selected on the Irish Youth team for the physically challenged series in New York and practically swept the boards winning eight gold medals.
He watched the Paralympic Games and saw his senior team mate Daragh McDonald win a silver medal from his home in Clonfadda, Killaloe.
In September 2008, his mother Betty heard Paralympic gold medal winner, Derek Malone from Whitegate being interviewed on Clare FM and he mentioned the support provided by James Murrihy from the Clare Sports Partnership.
Betty contacted Mr Murrihy who in turn organised an entry for Jonathan into the IWA competition in November. She said they didn’t really know what to expect or how he would perform at this level.
However, the Irish Paralympic selectors, Elizabeth Reed, Auveen Wilson and Sandra Cole spotted his potential and asked him to attend a training session. In addition to joining the Limerick Swimming Club, he started attending monthly training camps in Dublin and entered competitions for able-bodied athletes such as the Dave McCullagh competition, the IWA National Swimming Championships and the Irish Youth and Senior Championships in the Aquatic Centre, Dublin.