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Her world medals were no accident
By Tom Berridge, Burnaby NOW sports reporter
Two world relay medals are a true measure of disabled swimmer Alexandra Guarascio.
The 18-year-old Burnaby swimmer, who lost her right arm below the elbow in a disabling accident 16 years ago, shared two team medals at the third IPC World Swimming Championships at Mar del Plata, Argentina, Dec. 10 to 16.
The recent Notre Dame secondary grad shared a gold medal for Canada in the 4x100-metre 34 points freestyle relay and a silver in the medley relay at the week-long meet.
Guarascio also placed a best sixth in the finals of the 200-m individual medley, despite clocking the fifth-best time in the preliminary swim.
She also finished ninth in the 100-m butterfly, 12th in the 100-m freestyle, 13th in the free sprint and 14th in the 100-m backstroke.
What is more remarkable, however, is that Guarascio achieved all this after overcoming a serious car accident just months before in September.
Guarascio has been a member of the national swim team since the age of 13 and been swimming with the Hyack club even longer.
Last fall, Guarascio was named Swim B.C.'s female with a disability swimmer of the year. That same night she was involved in a car accident that kept her out of the water for the next three weeks.
With just two short months to train for the world championships, Guarascio hired a personal consultant to help with her rehabilitation and training. It's that value she places in the pursuit of excellence that has made Guarascio world-class, says Hyack Swim Club coach Mark Bottrill.
"She wasn't going to go to the meet and see it as a trip," Bottrill said. "It's her, her character, her desire. She comes to the pool with a twinkle in her eye more times than not."
That twinkle has been with the Burnaby teen ever since she first entered the water as a rehabilitation therapy for her amputated forearm at age two.
"I've always had a thing for the water and I have always loved swimming," she said.
It's a good thing that Guarascio loves the training aspect of competitive swimming. She trains in the pool nine to 10 times a week, as well as dry land weight training.
Guarascio, who entered Douglas College this week, is now setting herself a goal of making it to the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Her personal target is to make the podium in an individual race.
"When I think of the long run - what I have accomplished and want to accomplish - it keeps me motivated," she said. "If I train as hard as I possibly can and stay focused to what I want, and what my goals are, anything is possible."
And Bottrill agrees.
"Absolutely. She has so much room (to improve). She is starting to see what it takes for her to be good - really good," he said, adding she has less than two years to make that commitment a reality. "In 18 months she has to decide whether she wants to make the podium."
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