Aberdeen University’s Faye Rogers said she felt emotional after storming to gold in the women’s S10 100m butterfly at the Paris Paralympics.
The 21-year-old, who became world champion in the event last year, was the quickest qualifier for the final.
Competing in her first Paralympics, Rogers lived up to her billing as the pre-race favourite by pipping her Team GB teammate Callie-Ann Warrington in the final to take gold in a time of 1:05.84.
Rogers, from Stockton-on-Tees, was involved in a car accident in September 2021 on the day she was supposed to move to Aberdeen for university which left her with a permanent impairment in her arm.
Rogers, who had taken part in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics selection trials before the crash, was told by a consultant she would never swim competitively again following the accident, which left her with several arm fractures and she now has a fused elbow.
She said she was thrilled to land gold – exactly three years after the accident happened.
Rogers said: “My back end is always the strongest part of my race and I was quite confident at the turn.
“My thought process was if we’re with everyone at the turn we’re good.
“But I could see Callie fighting all the way and I just tried to keep moving.
“It is actually exactly three years since my accident. It is a bit emotional.
“It has been a big full circle moment.
“I couldn’t be prouder of how far I’ve come.
“I couldn’t ask for more from the three years.
“Coming into para-sport has been brand new, it has been the best environment.
“It has been the best team and I have made some of the best friends.
“I’m so grateful for this journey. I have learned so much about myself.
“I couldn’t have imagined this happening. It is just crazy.
“I have started getting messages from people who have been in similar situations.
“It makes me so proud that my experiences are helping other people.
“There are always days when it feels like it is never going to get better – but it always does.”
Rogers is trained by Patrick Miley as part of the University of Aberdeen Performance team.
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