Rachael Watson

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Rachael Watson
140416 - Rachael Watson Rio media pic - 3b.JPG
2016 Australian Paralympic Team portrait of Rachael Watson
Personal information
Full nameRachael Watson
NationalityAustralian
Born (1992-01-30) 30 January 1992 (age 29)
Brisbane, Queensland
Sport
SportSwimming
ClassificationsS4
ClubChandler Swimming Club
Medal record
Women's paralympic swimming
Representing  Australia
Event 1st 2nd 3rd
Paralympic Games 2 0 0
World Championships 0 1 1
Pan Pacific Para Championships 1 1 1
Total 3 2 2
Paralympics
Gold medal – first place 2016 Rio de Janeiro 50 m freestyle S4
Gold medal – first place 2020 Tokyo 50 m freestyle S4
World Para Swimming Championships
Silver medal – second place 2019 London 50 m freestyle S4
Bronze medal – third place 2019 London 100 m freestyle S4
Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships
Gold medal – first place 2018 Cairns 50 m freestyle S4

Rachael Elizabeth Watson, OAM (born 30 January 1992) is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. She is the current world record holder in the S4 50m freestyle. Watson represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, where she became the first S4 to win a gold medal in the 50m freestyle at any Paralympic Games;[1] a feat she repeated at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.[2]

Personal[]

Watson was born on 30 January 1992 in Brisbane, Queensland. She is a triplet and has mild cerebral palsy due to a premature birth. At the age of 21, she acquired Guillain Barre Syndrome that led to rapid full body muscle weakness and peripheral nervous system damage resulting in quadriplegia and the loss of the ability to walk. Before acquiring Guillain Barre Syndrome, she was employed as an AUSTSWIM Teacher of Swimming and Water Safety and had also earned honours in AMEB piano and music theory exams.[3] In 2011, she was awarded the "Queensland Young Volunteer of the Year".[4] She currently volunteers at the Queensland Children's Hospital in the Operating Theatre Support role. She is a volunteer member of numerous committees dedicated to improving health outcomes for people with a disability. Watson has a university degree in Early Childhood Education and is currently completing further study at the University of Queensland.

Swimming[]

Watson took up swimming as part of her rehabilitation.[3] In 2015 she was classified as an S4 swimmer as a result of Guillain Barre Syndrome. She has broken 16-year-old Australian records (set in 1999) in the 50m, 100m, 200m Freestyle and 50m Butterfly. S4 classified swimmers have some weakness in their hands and arms and no use of their core or legs. The majority of competitions are held in a multi class (MC) format where each athlete swims against the world record for their classification and the swimmer with the highest point score wins the race. 1000 points equals a world record.[3]

At the 2016 Rio Paralympics, Watson won the gold medal in the Women's 50m Freestyle S4 in a Paralympic record time of 40.13. Watson became the first swimmer classed S5 or below, to win gold for Australia this millennium.[5]

At the 2017 Australian Swimming Championships, Watson swam 37.87 in the Women's 50m Freestyle multi class final to break the previous S4 world record of 39.52. She broke the record in the heat as well in a time of 38.66. She won her first Australian national title and the world-record-breaking swim earned her a place on her first World Championships team. Watson received a standing ovation from the crowd and a hug from Dawn Fraser, which she describes as one of the most memorable moments of her life.[6]

In 2018, Watson was chosen to volunteer at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. She could not compete in the swimming at the games as her classification was not included in this competition.

At the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships in London, Watson won a silver medal in the Women's 50m Freestyle S4 and a bronze medal in the Women's 100m Freestyle S4.[7]

At the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, Watson won the gold medal in the Women's 50 m Freestyle S4 and did not qualify for the final of the Women's 100 m Freestyle S5 despite setting a S4 Paralympic record of 1:35.27, a record which hadn't been broken since 1996.[8]

Watson trains at the Chandler Swimming Club in Brisbane. Watson has been appointed Club Captain since the 2017/2018 season and still actively remains in this position.

Major Results[]

  • 2016 – IDM Berlin Open – 50m Freestyle multi class – 1st (39.97)
  • 2016 – Rio Paralympic Games – 50m Freestyle S4 – 1st (40.13)
  • 2020 - Tokyo Paralympic Games - 50m Freestyle S4 - 1st (39.36)

Community Work[]

Watson is a volunteer ambassador for numerous charities where she provides direct support to patients and families as well as liaison and advocacy. She is also on committees in a voluntary role to help improve health, disability and sport outcomes.

  • Volunteer with the Children's Hospital Foundation (2014 - present)
  • Ambassador for the Guillain Barre Syndrome Foundation of Australia (2017 - present)
  • Member of the Queensland Health Disability Advisory Committee (2019 - present)
  • Member of the Paralympics Australia Leadership Group (2021 - present)
  • Ambassador for Austswim (2021 - present)
  • Ambassador for the International Day of People with Disability (2021 - present)

Recognition[]

2016 – Australian Institute of Sport Discovery of the Year [9]

2016 – Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association Most Improved Athlete [10]

2016 – Swimming Australia Paralympic Swimmer of the Year nominee

2017 – Shannon Rollason Excellence Award: Open Female Swimmer 2016/2017

2017 – Medal of the Order of Australia[11]

2018 – Swimming Australia Paralympic Swimmer of the Year nominee

2019 – Shannon Rollason Excellence Award: Open Female Swimmer 2018/2019

2021 - University of Queensland Blue (university sport) Award for Sporting Excellence

References[]

  1. ^ "Australian Paralympic Swimming Team announced". Australian Paralympic Committee News, 1 August 2016. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Paralympics Australia Names Powerful Para-Swimming Team For Tokyo". Paralympics Australia. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  3. ^ a b c "Rachael Watson". Australian Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on 29 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  4. ^ "Young Bundaberg local wins volunteering award". Queensland Government website. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  5. ^ "Rachael Watson". Rio Paralympics Official site. Archived from the original on 23 September 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Rio gold and now a world record for Rachael Watson". Swimming Australia. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
  7. ^ "Rachael Watson". 2019 World Para Swimming Championships Results. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  8. ^ "Rahael Watson". Tokyo Paralympics Official Results. Retrieved 8 October 2021.
  9. ^ "SWIMMING AUSTRALIA GALA DINNER 2016". Swimming Australia. Archived from the original on 16 March 2017. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  10. ^ "2016 Annual Awards winners". Sporting Wheelies and Disabled Association website. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  11. ^ "Medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division" (PDF). www.gg.gov.au. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.

External links[]

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