One-lunged swimmer's Olympic hope

By Jo Manning
BBC News

Rob Parry still has a concave chest from where the lung should be

A teenage swimmer who was born with only one lung is being touted as a potential 2012 Olympic hopeful.

Swim Wales said Rob Parry, 17, from Abergele, Conwy, has every chance of succeeding.

He was born three months premature and had a pint of fluid where one of his lungs should have been.

But he has progressed from his lips turning blue after walking a few steps to competing for Wales in a number of freestyle events in the pool.

His mother Sue Parry said swimming from the age of one had built his stamina.

Ms Parry is also her son's trainer and said she believed her determination for him to be well from an early age had aided his development, even though he still has a concave chest from where the absentee lung should be.

In common with other top athletes such as Paula Radcliffe and Paul Ince, he still suffers with asthma and must take extra care to avoid chest infections which could have a devastating effect on his performance.

There are lots of people out there worse off than me who have achieved a lot more Rob Parry

"I don't think of myself as a disabled athlete," said Rob, an A level student at Ysgol Glan Clwyd, St Asaph.

"You just have to get on with it, there are lots of people out there worse off than me who have achieved a lot more.

"My mum's always saying 'You don't get 'owt for nowt'.

"She's a real hard task master but we work on the preface that you have to work hard to achieve."

Ms Parry had been expecting her baby in January 1992 but her son Rob arrived in November 1991 fighting for his life.

After doctors drained the fluid from the area where one of his lungs was supposed to be, the only working lung collapsed and he spent 10 days on a ventilator and seven weeks in intensive care.

When he was released from hospital, Ms Parry slowly but surely began giving Rob her own brand of physio to help build his healthy lung.

She would place him on his front and put her hands underneath his feet so he would push himself forward. He gradually improved from this gentle form of exercise.

Rob Parry is up at 4.30am every day to train

As a hockey player and track athlete, Ms Parry said she knew exercise would help to ensure a healthy future for her son.

"He used to turn blue just running around the garden because of a lack of oxygen so I decided to take him swimming because it is a more supported form of exercise," said Ms Parry.

"He never needed arm bands or a rubber ring. He just always seemed able to swim."

As Rob improved, Ms Parry decided to take on his training herself even though she admits swimming is not her favourite sport.

She had to start from scratch in the sport but said the principals of good training remained the same and her different background gave her a new perspective on the training.

Rather than allow his condition to hold him back, Ms Parry said her son used it as a motivating factor in his development.

"I think if you speak to any athlete who isn't 100% healthy, I think their illness or disability always becomes their driving force," said Ms Parry.

"You are out there to prove yourself as equal.

"I'm not saying Rob would not have had exactly the same success if he was born with two lungs but I think it has made him extremely driven."

It is a big sacrifice for him and the whole family as well Sue Parry, Rob's mother and trainer

Rob and his mother now have a long day which starts at 4.30am with training at his local pool. This finishes at 07.30 or 08.30 GMTso that Rob can go to school.

When he finishes lessons Rob is back at the pool until 1830 or 1930 for more training. He only has Saturday afternoons and Sunday off.

One of Rob's most recent meets saw him help the Wales 4x200m medley relay team win silver in the Celtic Tri Nations in Swansea.

His times also showed improvement in his individual events but he did not medal.

Next month, he will be heading to UK trials, hoping to qualify for the world championships.

Swim Wales chief executive, Robert James, said Rob had every chance of succeeding in his ambition to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, in the London Olympics in 2012 and beyond.