Faye Rogers has gone from potential Olympian to Paralympic gold medallist in three years after a car crash resulted in a fused elbow. The 21-year-old described the experience of switching as a “whirlwind” after claiming the only gold medal for Great Britain in swimming on day six of the Games in the women’s S10 100-metre butterfly final.
Rogers, who was inspired to be an elite aquatic athlete by Hannah Miley, the three-time Olympian, was pushed by team-mate Callie-Ann Warrington who claimed silver just 0.57 seconds behind.
“It’s been an absolute whirlwind, the last three years,” she explained. “It’s actually almost exactly three years since my accident. It’s been a massive journey.
“I couldn’t be prouder of where I’ve come from and how I’ve got here. I’m really proud of seeing the positives because at times that was really, really tough.”
Rogers' Incredible Comeback
Rogers was told she was never going to swim competitively again. “As someone whose life revolved around swimming, that was really difficult,” Rogers added. “Getting into Para-swimming has been amazing. It’s honestly been a lifesaver for me. I don’t think I’d have coped with the accident and my impairment without being able to swim.”
“I could see Callie next to me,” said Rogers, an aspiring doctor, who is currently completing a biochemistry degree at the University of Aberdeen. “I know I have a really good second 50. I got a bit nervous but I was relatively confident. Callie put up a really good fight down that second 50. Pushed me on a lot. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome.”
The Importance of Support
“I just couldn’t be more grateful and also to my coach Patrick Miley, who has been absolutely amazing, supporting me every step of the way,” explained Rogers, who named Hannah Miley as a huge heroine.
“Hannah was one of my biggest inspirations growing up. I remember watching her on the TV and she got the nickname Smiley Miley and that always stuck in my head.”
“When I met Patrick for the first time, it was actually at the Olympic trials in 2021, before my accident. I was a bit starstruck to be honest. I got to train with Hannah for the first couple of months after my accident, and she was so supportive as well.”
The Road to Recovery
Remarkably, Rogers was swimming again three months after her accident.
“Patrick has really driven me. I was really quite negative and probably should have been like one of the worst times of my life, but it was turned into something incredibly positive. I was sculling not swimming at first, and couldn’t hold a pen, or type. The hardest thing was learning to balance again in the water.”
Other ParalympicsGB Highlights
Elsewhere, the Great Britain mens’ wheelchair basketball team dominated Australia in the closing stages at Bercy Arena to win 84-64 in the quarter-finals and book a semi-final spot against Germany, who they scorched 76-55 in the group rounds.
Terry Bywater said afterwards: “We have had a great run so far, we can’t let complacency creep in now - and we won’t. This is a 12-man team with everyone primed. I’ve been in the semis so many times and this is the Games to make our dream happen.”
Britain’s equestrian team earned two bronze medals on the opening day of competition in Versailles, with Georgia Wilson, on her horse Sakura, in the individual event Grade 2 and six-time gold medallist Natasha Baker in the Grade 3 individual.
At the Stade de France, Sammi Kinghorn powered to a silver medal in the women’s T54 1500m citing motivation from an “incredible crowd”.
Wheelchair Fencing and Table Tennis
Gilliver had won gold in Epee in Tokyo.
“I’m pretty gutted. I hoped to come here and win the gold but it didn’t work out on the day,” said the 29 year old from Gloucester.
“The competition days are always really tough, back-to-back tough competitions and it’s hard to process. Once the Games come to a close, you can really look back and be proud of winning.”
“I spoke to my coaches and they were happy with the pace I went out on, they just said you need to come back a bit quicker. I delivered that and a personal best is brilliant.”
In the para table tennis Thomas Matthews has lost the first game to Cuba’s Yunier Fernandez in the quarter-finals.
Day 6 of the Paralympics
The 27th was particularly special. Ellie Challis, a quadruple amputee with no hands or feet who was inspired to swim by a dolphin with a prosthetic tail, raced to her first Paralympic triumph last night in the women’s S3 50m backstroke.
Looking Ahead
There are 50 gold medals up for grabs on day six. The lion’s share will be split between action at the pool and on the athletics track. We will also see more exciting action in the para-equestrian events at the Chateau de Versailles.
As the Paralympics 2024 continue, it's a testament to the spirit of these athletes, their resilience, and their determination that we see so much success in the face of adversity. Every athlete has their own story to tell and their own journey to overcome, and with each medal won, we celebrate their courage and their commitment to excellence.
