Australian Paralympic star Ellie Cole had a performance for the ages at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London where she won gold in the Women’s s9 100 backstroke and 100 freestyle and bronze in the 50 and 400 freestyle. She also collected two more gold as part of the 4 x 100 freestyle and 4 x 100 medley relays.
2013 was not as kind to Cole, who underwent double shoulder reconstructive surgery. She has gone through eight months of rehab and still has at least four months to go before she can return to a regular training regime.
Despite the setbacks Cole has kept her spirits high and is looking to make history with the desire to become the first female leg amputee to break a minute. That would mean that she would need to improve her lifetime best of 1:02.77 by almost three seconds, surpassing Sophie Pascoe of New Zealand who currently holds the S10 world record of 1:00.89.
”It’s going to be hard but winning in Rio is definitely a goal,” Cole told Chris Dutton of the Canberra Times.
”To break that down, I want to become the first female to go under one minute for the 100 metres freestyle. I’m looking at being a sprint-based athlete. I have to be particular about how I do it, one wrong move and it’s gone.”
“After you win a gold medal, you need to set something new and trying to get under a minute is going to push me to get better.”
Cole who has contemplated retirement a number of times throughout her career knows exactly how difficult that task will be and how much support she will need, “‘I’ve been swimming since I was three, so I want to keep going, but it’s just how the body holds up. I know I’ve got limited time before Rio, but Swimming Australia was willing to give me a scholarship even though I haven’t been swimming for a year.”
The scholarship has allowed Cole to continue to train at the Australian Institute of Sport where she has trained for the last four years.
