Para Swimmers Get Set For Trials
Winter is setting in and the pools are getting colder, but it's coming up to the most important and heated time of the year for our Funkita Para swimmers. It has been five years of sacrifice and commitment for Paralympians Lakeisha Patterson, Tiffany Thomas-Kane, Katja Dedekind & Taylor Corry who will soon be pushing for the sought-after green and gold once again.
In what is usually a four-year endeavour, the COVID pandemic has meant our athletes have endured a longer-than-normal wait to trial for the team headed to Tokyo. The extended time has given our Funkita Para women more time to hone their skills and come June 12-16, in Adelaide at the SA Aquatic & Leisure Centre, the women will be more than ready.
All experienced members of the Para Dolphins, these four have competed consistently and with solid times already this year. At the recent NSW Championships, Australian Championships and Sydney Open, the women have stood on the medal dais on an uncountable number of occasions, and are now ready to compete to represent Australia. With qualifying times set for all events within each Para classification, this is the only chance for these women to qualify for the 2021 Games, so the pressure is on!
Lakeisha Patterson is an absolute star on the Dolphins Team, and any swimming fan would be able to recall her astonishing performances at the Rio Games. She has carried her form through the Para Cycle with an S9 Gold at the 2019 World Championships in the 400m Freestyle, and has been keeping things quite regimented in the lead up to Trials. Lucky has been focusing on marking off the 1%ers in the training environment to ensure peak performance on race day. She is a seasoned performer and keeps her focus very much in her own lane. Nothing will be different this June and onwards.
Paralympic bronze medallist Katja Dedekind will have a packed program in Adelaide. She is set to contest the 50m, 100m, and 400m Freestyle events and the 100m Backstroke. 'I don't want to leave any stone unturned, and I am focussing on all the little things,' the experienced campaigner stated. Dedekind loves getting in there and racing and is eager to make her mark with the obvious short-term goal of qualifying for Tokyo after an extended wait.
Taylor Corry is one of Funkita's longer standing athletes, and she has her sights firmly set on qualifying for Tokyo in the 100m Butterfly. Taylor will also contest the 100m and 200m Freestyle, as well as the 100m Backstroke on the final day of competition. Technique has been a major focus for Corry in the final stages of preparations for Trials, with the smaller aspects of her stroke being at the forefront of her focus.
Para superstar Tiffany Thomas-Kane will be lining up for the 100m Breaststroke and 200m IM at Trials. Booking a spot on the Team and setting PBs are what she will be heading to Adelaide to do, as well as simply enjoying the opportunity to race. Tiff is a tough competitor with a solid second-half to her races, and has experience with getting on the wall first. She has proven that she can do it on the big stage too, and is absolutely determined to do it again. The gold-medallist from Rio & the 2019 Worlds in London is ready.
The Trials are drawing close and our Paralympic Funkita women may still have some final preparations, but they will be ready!
Check out their schedule:
Day 1 (June 12)
Day 2 (June 13)
Day 3 (June 14)
Day 4 (June 15)
Day 5 (June 16)