An Inverness teenager has been selected as the only Scottish male to compete in the World Down Syndrome Swimming Championships in Turkey next year.
Matthew McCreadie, 19, took up the sport seriously after the pandemic.
Now training five times a week, he recently represented Great Britain at the European Championships in Padova in Italy, where he came ninth overall and achieved four personal bests.
He will again compete for his country after being selected as the only Scottish male athlete for the World Down Syndrome Championships in Antalya, Turkey in March 2024.
Matthew said: “I do the butterfly, back stroke, breaststroke and front crawl.”
His mum Susan said he works extremely hard.
She said: “Having done a couple of competitions, he had a real fire for winning.
“But he doesn’t care if he doesn’t win, he loves being part of a team and being with the other swimmers.”
Now Matthew’s been selected for the Worlds, he’s stepping up training and nutrition.
He’s had to crowdfund to support his passion.
His mum said she feels there should be more funding available for athletes at his level.
Susan said: “I think it’s important it’s looked at by the governing bodies.
“There are so many other athletes out there training really hard and lack of funding could be something that’s holding them back from competing nationally and internationally.”
Matthew said he can’t wait to get to Turkey to do his best.
He added: “It’s good and I will get better times. I will be faster by then. I would absolutely like to win a medal, but if I don’t it’s fine.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
