CLACTON swimmer Ellie Challis swam to a magnificent gold medal at the Paralympics, in Paris.

The 20-year-old won her women's S3 50m backstroke race, to become a Paralympic champion.

She went one better than the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021, where she won silver to become ParalympicsGB's youngest medallist.

 

Challis clocked a new British record to storm home, in first place.

She said: “I was very confident that I could do better than this morning and a PB was all I could ask for whether that got me first, second or third then that’s what it was. But wow that was a good swim.

“Para sport is so different – we have people drop in and out of our classifications all the time and you never know what the year is going to hold.

"I went to the worlds in 2019 and since then I’ve just gone up and up and up. It’s been the most incredible day ever.

"I was so confident in myself but it’s a swimming race anything can happen. But wow that was fun.

“My family are just up there. I just want to say a big thank you to my dad, my sisters and my coach Aled as I couldn’t have done it without them.

"Since working with Aled two years ago I’ve improved so much.

"He gives me so much confidence in my swimming and I really couldn’t have done it without him, either at the worlds two years ago or today.

"I’ve got one day left and we’ll see what happens tomorrow but this is a full dream come true and tomorrow is just about enjoying every moment and taking it all in and whatever happens, happens.”