ALL athletes have a goal they strive for when they start their journey in their chosen sport, and for local swimmer Dominic Hoggard, that goal is to make the Australian Paralympic Team in the future.

Born with cystic fibrosis in his ankles, the young swimmer has made every post a winner and his results at the School Sport Victoria State Championships in Melbourne recently attest to his dedication and determination to achieve his goals.

Hoggard recorded personal best times, winning the Men’s 15-16-year-old 50m butterfly Multi Class event (32.24) and the Men’s 15-16-year-old 50m backstroke Multi Class event (41.41), while he also claimed the gold medal in the Men’s 15-16-year-old 50m freestyle event (31.52).

The Baimbridge College student also competed in the School Sport Australia national titles on the Gold Coast against the best multi-class swimmers in the nation, and he may not have finished on the podium, but he did manage to post new personal best times in the 50m butterfly, the 200m freestyle and the 400m freestyle events.

Hoggard also flew to New Zealand to tackle the best swimmers across the ‘ditch’ and he came away with another personal best time in the 200m freestyle, as well as competing in his other events.

The young swimmer doesn’t compete in either breaststroke or medley events due to being disqualified for an illegal kicking action due to his cystic fibrosis, but it doesn’t stop him with all the remaining strokes.

“My favourite stroke is freestyle and then its butterfly,” Hoggard said.

“The atmosphere in New Zealand was incredible with all the kids making me feel so welcome, they actually wanted me to swim there full time.

“I want to go back to New Zealand fitter and do better and medal, as I was so close this time.

Hoggard is already looking at helping others, as he tries to inspire those kids to follow their dreams, as he strives to reach the Paralympics.

“Hopefully I can reach my goal where I will look to inspire other multi-class athletes to strive for their dreams,” Hoggard said.

Training occurs every day for the young swimmer, covering 1.6km to 2.4km each day, lap after lap, as he builds his stamina especially the longer events.

Of course, he has plenty of time to think, as he watches the black line on the bottom of the pool pass.

“I sometimes concentrate on me stroke, but I also love to compete, and I start racing my friends in the other lanes during training,” Hoggard said.

One event he has in his sights are the World Games in Thailand later this year, after qualifying to compete at the trials in Melbourne.

Hoggard’s speed comes from his upper body, as he rarely uses his feet due to the affliction in his ankles, and this upper body strength makes him a prime candidate for the distance events all the way up to the swimmer’s marathon, 1500m.

“My coaches have said that I’m going to have make up my mind which distances I want to compete in in the future, so I have some thinking to do,” he said.

To cap off his achievements, Hoggard has been selected in the Swimming Victoria Performance Pathways Program Multi Class Squad, where he and his coach will be invited to attend various workshops to educate them on the Para Pathway and identify his strengths and weaknesses.