Heather's golden dream

2:40pm Thursday 28th August 2008

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WORLD record holder Heather Frederiksen will go for gold in Beijing - just four years after she was told she would never swim again.

The freestyle and backstroke star flew out to the Macau advanced training camp with the British team on Saturday to prepare for her first Paralympic Games which begin on September 7.

And with her Olympic dream come true she can’t wait to follow her hero Michael Phelps into the magnificent Water Cube where he lifted his eight gold medals.

Heather, 24, of Clifton Street, Leigh, was an up and coming abled-bodied star before an accident ended her career.

She was out of the water for a year, and disabled by a leg and arm injury had to learn to swim all over again.

With an S8 disability classification, the world ranked number one will compete in her top event the 100m backstroke, plus the 200m individual medley and the 50m, 100m and 400m freestyle events in which she is world number two.

Heather learned to swim at the age of five at Howe Bridge and started swimming competitively at the age of nine. She was a member of Howe Bridges Aces before moving on to Atherton, then Tyldesley and then the City of Salford where she trains under the guidance of coach, John Stout.

As an able bodied swimmer she rose to world level, competing in the world championships in Barcelona in 2003.

She was also a top open water competitor whose favourite distance was 25,000k - a five hour swim.

Now a full time, lottery-funded sportswoman Heather trains for 18 hours a week - and has to get up at 4.30am to make early morning sessions.

She said: “I just can’t wait to get to Beijing and start competing. It is a chance of a lifetime, one that not very many are given and I will do my best to bring home a medal or two.”

She will be watched in the pool by proud mum and dad, Lynne and John, who will fly out to Beijing shortly.

Lynne, who gave up her job to ferry Heather to early morning sessions, said: “We are bursting with pride, but Heather deserves everything she has achieved. Four years ago we didn’t even think she would swim again, but she has come a long way since then.”

Heather was filmed by the BBC last week for “The One Show” and is expected to feature on the programme on September 1.

She will start her medal campaign on day two of the Games.