Whakatāne swimmer Chloe Gladwin has been selected to represent New Zealand at the Virtus World Swimming Championships.

The 17-year-old is excited to take her skills and achievements to Bangkok in August.

It will be her first time visiting Thailand.

“So just experiencing the country is an amazing opportunity. I’m also looking forward to racing other competitors with my classification as we will be directly racing each other.”

Typically, Chloe is racing against her own times in multi-class events.

“It’s going to be a completely new experience going away with the team. I am not sure what to expect, especially as I haven’t found out what races I am competing in yet,” she said.

In May, Chloe qualified for every race but one and is waiting to hear from the New Zealand team to see which events she will be entered.

“I am hoping for the distance events,” she said.

Virtus advocates and promotes events to celebrate athletes with intellectual impairments. Chloe has competed in the II3 category after being diagnosed with autism, although she was swimming long before she was diagnosed.

At the New Zealand Championships, she broke two Virtus II3 records with her times in the 100-metre backstroke and 200m butterfly.

“I love being in the water, it helps me stay sane. It is a part of who I am and what I do.”

She said autism could make some parts of her swim training more difficult.

“I have difficulties processing the instructions from my coach, Mason [Pickering], and it usually takes me longer to fully understand what I am meant to be doing, especially with complex or multi-step information.

“I also have challenges interpreting what my body is feeling when I swim, so I cannot easily tell how my body is responding to exercise,” she said.

It could be hard for Chloe to work out pacing or speed, or if she was suffering an injury.

“I have had to learn through repetition and experience.”

The noise and busy nature of swim meets could over-stimulate her, so she employed a routine to manage races and finals.

“I need time to recover and rest my brain afterwards.

“Anything new is still really hard for me to manage, and we have had to practise introducing new and unexpected things into my swimming life so I can learn to adapt to things that are outside my routine in Whakatāne.”

At every event she had a great support system of her mum, Juliet Gladwin, and Pickering.

Swimming had also given Chloe a lot, including regulation and routine, an opportunity to travel and a community who accepted her for who she was.

She had given back to the sport and her community by coaching junior squads over the past two years.

“I really enjoy coaching the Dolphins and Penguins squads. I know how much swimming has given me over the years and I love to share that with the younger swimmers in our club.”

Pickering was particularly proud of Chloe’s performance at the New Zealand Swimming Championships as it was her first serious race following a knee injury.

“It was just about reminding her she can race, and she smashed that,” he said.

“It’s cool to see the work she’s put in, and everyone around her – and it’s cool to see it come through.”

Chloe is fundraising for her costs to attend the Virtus championships via a Givealittle page: https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/help-chloe-attend-the-virtus-world-swimming