Interview with Paralympian Robert Welbourn
Sport: Swimming
Lives: Lincolnshire
Born: 11/06/87
Rob made his Paralympic debut at the Athens 2004 Paralympics Games, where he won relay gold in the 4x100m freestyle and individual silver in the 400m freestyle. At the World Championships in December 2006 Rob repeated his Athens successes again winning relay gold in the 4x100m freestyle and individual silver in the 400m freestyle.
Interview Transcript
I'm Robert Welbourn and I'm a swimmer.
Q How did you get into your sport?
A When I was probably about 4 or 5 my parents took me along to the local swimming pool and I got swimming lessons and it all progressed until I was swimming competitively both able bodied and disability.
Q What do you enjoy most about your sport?
A Well I enjoy meeting new people and making friends, and trips away, going to the big international competitions is what really keeps me there.
Q what does a typical day in your sport involve?
A I normally get up about 5.10 a.m., eat quickly, go to the pool, do a 2 hour training session, come home, probably eat again, have a bit of a rest, just chill out for a bit during the day and then go back to the pool again for another 2 hour session at night.
Q How do you relax when you are not competing or training?
A I just sort of listen to music, watch tv, play on my Playstation, go out with friends, just sort of general stuff really.
Q What do you hope to achieve in your sport in the future?
A I am hoping that I will be in Beijing and in London, and I would really like to get an individual gold medal. I have got 2 relay golds, one at Athens and one at the World Championships in Durban, and two individual silver medals from the same competition, so I want an individual gold to add to that.
Q What advice would you give someone wanting to take up your sport?
A Go to the local pool and check out what is available, join a local club and stay focussed and keep working hard, listen to your coaches.
Q What did you get out of this trip to Macau?
A It has been a good experience sort of for culture and what it is like over here, its different way of life, so its really good to mix in with that for a bit and its not such a shock when we come over for Beijing.
