Paralympic glory beckons for Killaloe swimmer

A talented young Killaloe swimmer has stepped up his gruelling training programme in the lead up to his first Paralympic swimming competition later this summer.
Jonathan McGrath, who swims between 8,000 and 9,000m six days a week, will head off for a special training camp in Portugal on August 16 before he travels to the Paralympic village in London on August 24.
The Paralympics start on August 29 and the 19 year-old is looking forward to participating in the 400m freestyle event.
Speaking to The Clare Champion, Jonathan admitted he is delighted to get a place on the Irish Paralympic Swimming team.
“It is a dream come true to participate in the Paralympics.
“Training is going very well and I feel way better than I did before previous world and European competitions. I know a few of the Irish swimmers who are competing in the Olympics so I can ask them what the pool is like when they finish their event.
“I haven’t swam in the pool where the Paralympics is being held, but I know one of the Irish girls has swam in the pool and she said it was big,” he said.
Paralympic swimming will feature up to 600 swimmers competing in nearly 150 medal events and include events in the same four strokes that feature at the Olympic Games freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke. Swimmers are classified according to their functional ability to perform each stroke.
Jonathan, along with Beijing silver medalist Darragh McDonald (S6) and James Scully (S5) will head up Irish hopes for London 2012.
Jonathan previously finished fifth in the World Swimming Paralympic Championships in Eindhoven.
Four athletes achieved personal bests with the Killaloe teenager finishing fifth in the final of the 400m freestyle (S8 class). The then 17-year-old produced an outstanding performance to set a new personal best of 4.52:69.
He also performed very well in the last European Swimming Championships finishing seventh in the 400 metres freestyle.
He is part of Swim Ireland’s high performance development squad based in UL.
His day starts with a 4am rise and is in the UL pool at 5.15am for his first training session. He returns later for another session at 2.30pm during the summer or between 6pm and 7pm  in the winter. He tries to get a two-hour sleep during the day depending on his college courses.  His training also includes two gym sessions and pilates.
His mother, Betty, said his family are very proud of his success but she insists his feet are firmly on the ground.
“Jonathan gets up himself every morning, you don’t have to call him. He is a very determined young man and doesn’t look for any attention. He continues to work hard to try and lower his personal best.
“London 2012 will be his greatest international stage. He is totally committed and focused and just keeps going and going. He has a lovely set of friends who he socialises with occasionally. He has a good balance between sport, study and his social life and always knows he has to get up again the following morning.
“It is a labour of love for Jonathan. He also passed his psychology exams during the summer,” she said.
In July 2009, Jonathan became internationally carded and is now considered a high performer swimmer and an elite athlete in Paralympic terms.  In fact, he was previously ranked fifth in Europe 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 Darragh 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.