Teen swimmer sets sights on Special Olympics glory

A nineteen-year-old swimmer has said he will win "3,000 gold medals" in the Special Olympics Great Britain.

Sam Craddock, from Dorchester in Dorset, has Down's syndrome and will be competing in the 50m freestyle, 50m breast stoke and 100m individual medley.

The event in Birmingham, between Thursday 27 and Sunday 30 August, will see more than 1,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities compete across several sports.

Craddock said: "I like swimming because I like to be stronger and work out in the gym."

The teenager trains weekly at the 1610 Dorchester Sports Centre.

His coach, Darcie Curtis said: "I'm so proud of him, honestly, I couldn't say that enough. He's come on such a long way."

His mum, Annette, added: "I'm so proud of him. It's going to be emotional; it's going to be amazing."

As well as swimming in Dorchester, Craddock also swims with his friend Jake Binns at the Wild Shark Swim School in Shaftesbury. Binns will also be competing.

He said: "I really cried when I found out I had a place in the Special Olympics in Birmingham.

"I am so excited. My favourite swim stroke is butterfly because I have big shoulders."

Lorah Wild, who runs Wild Sharks, said: "We had to get the team together this end and then get it affiliated with Special Olympics, which isn't an easy feat because it is a lot of hurdles and hoops that we had to jump over and climb through, but we got there."

Special Olympics GB offers people with intellectual disabilities or learning disabilities a chance to take part in sport within their communities all year round.