Benjamin Franklin, one of the United States of America’s founding fathers, coined the phrase ‘the only things that are certain in life are death and taxes'. Bethany Firth leaving a major tournament with a handful of medals could be added to Franklin’s short list of absolute certainties.
The Seaford swimmer departed the World Championships in Madeira last week with five gold medals. That impressive tally goes along with her six Paralympic gold and three silver medals were accumulated over three games in London, Rio and Tokyo.
But there is one medal missing from Firth’s glittering collection and the she is hoping to rectify that this summer. Firth will represent Team NI in Birmingham hoping to win her first Commonwealth Games medal.
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Firth went to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games eight years ago as an able-bodied swimmer. But Birmingham will be the first time that her S14 category has been included in the swimming programme at the multi-event showpiece.
“To win a Commonwealth Games medal would give me the whole collection. I have gold medals in the Europeans, I have gold medals in the Worlds, and I have gold medals in the Paralympics, that would give me the full collection and I don’t think many people can say that,” stated Firth.
“I have represented Great Britain a lot. I have always been from Northern Ireland, I have always grown up here and it just means so much to have that flag on my hat and it would be good to bring something back home."
As well as all the medals Firth has won in the pool she was also awarded an MBE. Her achievements are made all the more remarkable after overcoming a fear of water from an early age.
“From having a fear of water up to the age of 13 and then turning that all around and coming away with all the medals is life changing. I think that it is really important that is you have a fear, and something scares you it should not set or hold you back and I think I am a person that can show that,” said Firth.
“I was terrified of water and now I have achieved a lot in the sport. I fell in the pool when I was really young in Australia, I had to be recused by the lifeguard and just from then I had a fear, and I knew I just didn’t like or wanted to be near it and I used to scream anytime I went near water.”
It was at Longstone School when Firth first conquered the pool. And it was a teacher who helped her overcome her fears.
“I got into the water when my schoolteacher Mr Starrs said we had to learn how to swim as part of our lessons. I came up with all the excuses but was told I had to do this, so they put me I and I swam really quick, basically I was like if I don’t swim I’m going to drown.
“They saw how quick I was although my stroke was shocking, but I could get from one end to the other quite quickly and it just sort of took off from there. Mr Starrs still laughs about it, he told my mum he was going to put me in for this competition and she was like, 'not a chance she’ll do it'."
Firth will be a long odds-on favourite to land the gold medal in Birmingham. And she is determine to back up the odds.
“Going into all competitions I feel the pressure, I think people have seen what you have done and if you don’t do better than that you have sort of failed. I think it is not about that it is about enjoying the sport and doing the best you can do," she said.
“I train really hard and give it my all but on that day, I can’t control what anyone else does. That’s what I want (to win a medal) but I can’t control what anyone else is doing but it would definitely be the icing on the cake because I have all the other medals apart from the Commonwealth Games.”
Despite a very different and unusual training regime due to the Covid 19 pandemic Firth was still able to leave last summer’s Paralympics in Tokyo with two gold and two silver medals. Her preparation involved a paddling pool in the back garden.
“Over in the mainland they were getting hot tubs to swim in I had a paddling pool in the back garden, and it was cold and dirty. In the morning my mum would go around with a sieve from the kitchen getting all the bugs and slim out of it because it was disgusting," she recalls.
“We back training now and that is an environment that I love, I love being in the water being free and not have my disability hold me back. It allows me to do what I love and that is why I missed it so much having to be in a paddling pool over Covid.
“My support system around me came up with ideas and they gave me equipment, my nutritionist, my psychologist. It was more of a team effort than just me really.”
While winning medals major champions has become the norm for the for the 26-year-old doesn’t take he achievements for granted. And Firth admits she still gets a buzz out of competing.
“It would be easy to get caught up in all the medals, but it is all about remembering why we swim and sort of grounding yourself, taking it all in and enjoy each competition because every competition is very different. Tokyo with no supporters was a very different Games to the ones that I’m used to, the Commonwealth Games people can come and view and get inspired and I’m excited for the whole experience," she added.
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