WELLINGTON Point’s Rylee Grier-Stralow has been selected to represent Queensland at the School Sport Australia Swimming Nationals in Hobart in July.
The team announcement came after Rylee brought home eight medals from the Queensland School Sport State Swimming Championships held at Chandler’s Sleeman Centre last month.
She won gold medals in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events, silver for the 200m individual medley and bronze for 50m and 100m butterfly, 50m and 100m backstroke and 100m freestyle.
Rylee placed fourth in the 200m freestyle event.
The Wellington Point State High School year 9 student was born three months premature and has an intellectual disability.
She dreams of becoming a Paralympian and is friends with some athletes who swam in the Games at Rio.
Mum Robyn Grier-Stralow said they would be watching Commonwealth Games swimming events on television.
“We are unable to go and watch as support for Rylee’s sisters (who are both visually impaired and confined to wheelchairs) is not funded during the school holidays,” Ms Grier-Stralow said.
Among the Games swimmers is 15-year-old Rylee’s friend Mount Cotton teenager Paige Leonhardt.
“She’s competing at the Games with a lot of swimmers we know who started off at events with Rylee. We have watched these athletes develop over the last six years that Rylee has been competing.”
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Ms Grier-Stralow said Rylee’s talent was spotted by Birkdale State School sports teacher Alan Menzies when she moved there in year 3.
“She had her first swimming lesson when she was 1-year-old and has competed since 2010,” Ms Grier-Stralow said.
“She enjoys the swimming and loves to place in racing but finds it hard to focus on training.”
Rylee, who trains with the Wellington point All Stars based at Redlands College, said she is proud of her achievements.
“This has given me the motivation to keep going to achieve my dream of being selected for the Paralympic team,” she said.
Rylee hopes to make it into the Australian team for the INAS Global Games, the world’s biggest sports event for athletes with an intellectual impairment.
Her next event is the Australian Age Nationals in Sydney on April 26.
Ms Grier-Stralow said sponsorship or donations towards Rylee’s travel costs to attend the Tasmania event would be appreciated. If you can assist, email wemow1@bigpond.com.