Two swimmers from the Auburn Swimming Club are heading to Paris in August after being selected to compete in the 2024 Paralympic Games.
Timothy Hodge and Ricky Betar will swap Lidcombe’s Church Street for the Champs Elysees when they touch down in the Olympic City next month.
The pair were among 30 swimmers selected in the Australian Paralympic Team following their outstanding performances at the 2024 Australian Paralympic Swimming Trials in Brisbane in June.
Hailing from Blacktown and currently studying electrical engineering at Western Sydney University, Hodge broke his world record in the Men’s 200m medley S9 with a time of 2:12:03
Paris will be the 23-year-old’s third Olympics, having competed at Tokyo and Rio. He’s never won a Paralympic gold medal.
“To win Paralympic gold, it would be a lifetime achievement,” Hodge told Channel Nine after his race.
“I’m lucky enough to say I’ve achieved every major gold medal in my sport and world records too. So the only thing that’s really, really missing is Paralympic gold.
“If I can achieve that this year, it will be the ultimate accomplishment and I can feel confident if my career ended tomorrow, I’d be satisfied.”
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Betar will be competing at his second Paralympic Games, having collected silver in the mixed 4 x 100m freestyle relay in Tokyo in 2021.
Born in Japan, Betar is classed as an S14 swimmer for people with intellectual disabilities. Betar is expected to compete in the 200m multi-class individual medley and 100m backstroke in Paris.
Speaking in NSW Parliament recently, Member for Auburn Linda Voltz said Hodge and Betar’s selected was great news for the local community.
“Two locals, Tim Hodge and Ricky Betar, were selected to represent the green and gold in the pool in Paris,” she said.
“They are two of the 30 swimmers selected to represent Australia at the Paris Paralympic Games, featuring some of the most exciting, experienced and successful swimmers to ever swim on an Australian Paralympics team.
“Both swimmers are juniors of the Auburn Swimming Club and were announced as part of the Australian Paralympics team after their stunning performances at the Paralympics trials.
“The Auburn Swimming Club, along with the whole local community, will be cheering them home at the 2024 Paralympic Games.”
The Paralympic Games will be held from August 28 until September 8.
Nathan Taylor is Parra News' sports journalist. He also compiles the weekly Chatter on the Box TV column. Nathan is an award-winning journalist, who has worked in western Sydney media for more than a decade.