Tom Hamer hopes for more happy memories in Australia

Tom Hamer is hoping one of his happiest memories of his career will help him to achieve an even better one on Australia’s Gold Coast.

Hamer won a silver medal in the 200m freestyle (S14) on his Commonwealth Games debut at Glasgow in 2014 at the age of only 15.

Now he is heading Down Under hopeful of being part of a successful Team England again.

Thomas Hamer
  • DOB: 16/08/1998
  • Club: City of Manchester Aquatics
  • Coach: Graeme Smith
  • CWG: Won S14 200m Freestyle silver on debut at Glasgow 2014

The 19-year-old City of Manchester swimmer said: “My memories from four years ago are just being a young kid, enjoying the experience, walking away with a silver medal and, looking back, I loved every second of it.

I was running around the village, I was 15, I was enjoying the food, enjoying the atmosphere. My parents came so I got to see them. It was just one of my happiest memories throughout my career.

“It is very special even if it’s Team England, Team GB, Paralympics GB, it’s all special. We are all a unit and it’s good to see us all come together.

“I really like the kit, I think it’s better than 2014. It shows when we go to the Games, we all look the same and we are a unit.

“We are going to go out there and smash it.”

Hamer loves competing internationally

Hamer, who also won a silver medal at the Rio Paralympics in 2016, said he loves the international competitions.

“Travelling the world doing something that you love and meeting new friends, it’s just incredible to have that,” he said. “It’s just nice to visit other places.

“I love competing internationally – it’s amazing.”

Hamer said swimming helped him cope with the stresses he had while at school.

“Swimming is my happy place, where I am in my bubble,” he said. “I hated school, I wasn’t the most academic person.

“I really struggled throughout school so going to swimming in the mornings and the evenings just really helped to relax the brain because the stress from school was overwhelming.

“In 2013-14, I got classified as S14, that’s a person with intellectual disability, and then I went to the Commonwealth Games and it started from there. The dice has just been rolling ever since.”

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