I am writing for a 13 year old up-coming swimmer to ask for support so that she can reach her full potential. 

Dorothy Pasko is a multi-class swimmer, which means that she has a disability. In Dorothy's case, she was born with a shorter right arm, with only two fingers, half-size palm and functionality loss (she cannot turn the right lower arm). As swimmers do, she is training 6 days a week about 2.5-4 hours each. She lives in Wodonga, Victoria with her family and swims at the North Albury Swimming Club. She is a Culturally and Linguistically Diverse swimmer, besides English, she speaks Hungarian fluently.

She started to competitively swim about 2 years ago, after she progressed to state level in the school swimming program, beating lots of able-bodied swimmers. She kept this up, breaking the 50m school records in her age group in breaststroke, freestyle and butterfly this year.

In April 2023, aged 12, she progressed to Australian National level, winning two silvers and one bronze in her age category at the 2023 Australian Age & MC Age Championships in Queensland. 

In 2024 she earned Pho3nix Junior Excellence (JX Program 24/25) - Gold Standard.

https://www.swimming.org.au/get-involved/programs/jx

In October 2023, she also attended the 2023 Country Swimming Championships in Darwin and won 9 golds and 1 silver and became the 12-13 yrs Multi Class Age Champion.

Then, 23-25 February 2024, she attended the 2024 Victorian Open Long Course Championship. (Open means that any age category can apply and they are not grouped by age) and beside other medals, she won the gold in 100m Breastroke shaving off 4.14 seconds of her previous best time and beating a 13, 16, 17, 18 and two 23 years olds.)

You can watch this on the Swimming Victoria youtube channel:

Day 2 Finals - Victorian Open LC Championships & World Para Series 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwIasN_r4oY

Dorothy is racing from 30.12 - 35.25 minutes.

This April Dorothy attended the 2024 Australian Age & MC Championship  between 06/04/2024-09/04/2024 at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre, where all children are divided into age categories.

She started with 50m Breaststroke, where she came 4th in the finals in the 12-13 years age category.

Next, 50m Butterfly, where she was 3rd in the finals in her age group, receiving a bronze medal.

In the 200m Individual Meadley, she arrived 2nd in the finals, getting a silver medal.

After this, in the 100m Breaststroke, she was 2nd in the finals, getting a silver again.

In the 50m Backstroke, Dorothy came 6th.

Next, in the 100m Butterfly, she came 1st and won a Gold medal.

Finally, in the 50m Freestyle, Dorothy came 5th in her age category.

 After a few days, Dorothy attended the 2024 Australian Open Championship between 17/04/2024-20/04/2024, at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre again. Open means that all age categories are swimming against each other, Dorothy being the youngest competitor attending.

First, at the 50m Butterfly, Dorothy came 14th.

After this, Dorothy arrived 6th in the 100m Butterfly, with only 5 Paralympians beating her: Paige Leonhardt (aged 23), Ruby Storm (20), Emily Beecroft (24), Poppy Wilson (20) and finally Jasmin Fullgrabe (18).

Then, in the 50m Breaststroke, she came 12th.

In the 50m Backstroke, Dorothy was 9th in the finals.

On the last day the tiredness was setting in and in the 100m Breaststroke, Dorothy arrived 13th and in the 50m Freestyle, Dorothy made it to the B final and claimed 17th place. 

Dorothy qualified in the 100 Breaststroke to attend the Australian Olympic and Paralympic Trial which was held in Brisbane, Queensland 10-15 June 2024. She made it to the finals and finished 5th by time, 8th by points in the finals. She did not make it to the Paris paralympic team this year, but is very much working on getting into the Los Angeles paralympic team in four years time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Jhq6VGAoRA

Dorothy's swim: 8.53 - 11.17 minutes.

After this performance she was chosen to be in the Matt Levy Para Futures Squad and to the NWS Para Futures Squad for 2024.

Dorothy is currently too young to participate in the World Aquatics Junior Championships, but will be eligible next year.

Between 28-31 July 2024 Dorothy attended the School Sport Australia Games national championship at Gold Coast, Queensland and she won 6 medals in the 13-15 age multi-class category. She came 2nd in 100m breast-stroke; 4th in the 50 butterfly; 3rd in the 200m Individual Meadley; 5th in the 50m freestyle; 1st in 200m Medley relay, NSW A team; 3rd in the 50m breast-stroke; 2nd in the 100m butterfly; and finally 1st in the 200m Free relay, NSW A team. 

We are fundraising to cover swimming equipment, travel and accommodation costs to attend national and international swimming championships.

I hope that you can see the potential in Dorothy as we can, and consider supporting Dorothy in her training and attendance of future championships.