Rachael Watson

Rachael Watson
2016 Australian Paralympic Team portrait of Rachael Watson
Personal information
Full name Rachael Watson
Nationality  Australia
Born (1992-01-30) 30 January 1992
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Freestyle
Classifications S4
Club Chandler Swimming Club
Coach Rob Hindmarsh
Medal record
Women's paralympic swimming
Representing  Australia
Paralympics
2016 Rio de Janeiro50 m Freestyle S4

Rachael Elizabeth Watson OAM (born 30 January 1992) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She is the current world record holder for the S4 50m Freestyle. Watson represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics where she became the first S4 to win a gold medal in the 50m Freestyle at any Paralympic games. [1]

Personal

Watson was born on 30 January 1992 in Brisbane, Queensland. She is a triplet and has mild Cerebral Palsy resulting from a premature birth. At the age of 21, she acquired Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) that led to rapid full body muscle weakness and peripheral nervous system damage. GBS also affects her ability to regulate temperature. Before acquiring Guillain-Barré Syndrome, she could walk well, drive a regular car, was employed as a learn-to-swim instructor and had also earned honours in AMEB piano and music theory exams.[2] She attended Cannon Hill Anglican College in Brisbane, Queensland. In 2011, she was awarded the Queensland Young Volunteer of Year - Art and Culture category. She holds a voluntary role as the official ambassador for the Guillain Barre Syndrome Foundation of Australia.[3]

Swimming

Watson took up swimming as part of her rehabilitation.[2] She was originally classified as a S8 swimmer[2] but was reclassified in 2015 as a S4 swimmer as a result of Guillain Barre Syndrome. She has broken 16-year-old Australian records (set in 1999) in the 50m, 100m, 200m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly. S4 classified swimmers have some weakness in their hands and arms and no use of their core or legs. Watson cannot see the score board at the end of the pool clearly enough without her glasses meaning she does not know the result of a race until someone tells her after she is out of the pool.[2]

At the 2016 Australian Swimming Championships, she nearly broke the S4 world record for the Women's 100m Freestyle. Despite coming 8th in the 50m Freestyle, she achieved an A qualifying time and at her first nationals, which also doubled as selection trials, she made her first Paralympic team.[2]

At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, she won the gold medal in the Women's 50m Freestyle S4 in a Paralympic record time of 40.13. The win came after only 18 months of training with her coach. Watson became the first swimmer classed S5 or below, to win gold for Australia this millennium. [4] Watson also competed in Mixed 4x50m Freestyle (20 points) and finished seventh in the final. Watson further competed in the Women's 50m Breaststroke SB3 and Women's 150m Individual Medley SM4 and despite marginally not progressing to the finals, she achieved personal best times in both events. She was disappointed that the 100m and 200m Freestyle weren't included for her classification at the games.

In preparation for Rio, Watson shared "If I was to win a medal, it won’t just me who has won, it’s them as well. They have done so much for me. My mum has taught me so much about how to be a young woman and my dad has taught me how to deal with the punches that life throws at you." She also mentions that she likes to use a form event as race practice to get rid of nerves before her main event. Rio was the first time she had raced in a pool where each swimmer was the same classification as the majority of swim meets are in a multi-class format.[5]

At the 2017 Australian Swimming Championships, she swam 37.87 in the Women’s 50m Freestyle multi-class final to break the previous S4 world record of 39.52. She broke the record in the heat as well in a time of 38.66. She won her first Australian national title and the world-record-breaking swim earned her a place on her first World Championships team. Watson received a standing ovation from the crowd and a hug from Dawn Fraser, which she describes as one of the most memorable moments of her life. [6]

The 2017 Para Swimming World Championships were postponed due to a series of strong earthquakes in Mexico. The championships were meant to take place 30 September - 6 October in Mexico City. Her current time would have seen her win gold.

She trains at the Chandler Swimming Club in Brisbane. Watson has been appointed Club Captain for the 2017/2018 season.

Results

  • 2016 - IDM Berlin Open - 50m Freestyle - 1st (39.97)
  • 2016 - IDM Berlin Open - 50m Butterfly - 1st (59.05)
  • 2016 - Rio Paralympic Games - 50m Freestyle - 1st (40.13)
  • 2017 - Australian Swimming Championships - 50m Freestyle - 1st (37.87) - WORLD RECORD
  • 2017 - Canadian Open - 50m Freestyle - 1st (39.02)
  • 2017 - Canadian Open - 100m Freestyle - 1st (1:27.62)
  • 2018 - Australian Swimming Championships - 50m Freestyle - 2nd (40.05)
  • 2018 - Para Pan Pacs - 50m Freestyle - 1st (40.00)

Recognition

2016 - AIS Discovery of the Year (Swimming Australia Annual Awards)

2016 - Most Improved Athlete (Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association Annual Awards) [7][8]

2017 - Shannon Rollason Excellence Award: Open Female Swimmer 2016/2017 (Chandler Swim Club Annual Awards)

2017 - Order of Australia Medal [9]

2018 - QLD Sprint Championships "SWD Swimmer of the Meet"

References

  1. ↑ "Australian Paralympic Swimming Team announced". Australian Paralympic Committee News, 1 August 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rachael Watson". Australian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  3. ↑ "Young Bundaberg local wins volunteering award". Queensland Government website. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  4. ↑ "Rachael Watson". Rio Paralympics Official site. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  5. ↑ Lawerence, Elissa. "Paralympics 2016: We're the Superhumans - Queensland's champions". The Courier Mail. The Courier Mail. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  6. ↑ "Rio gold and now a world record for Rachael Watson". Swimming Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  7. ↑ "2016 Annual Awards winners". Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association website. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  8. ↑ "SWIMMING AUSTRALIA GALA DINNER 2016". Swimming Australia. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  9. ↑ "Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division" (PDF). www.gg.gov.au. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
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