The winner of Northern Ireland’s first ever Commonwealth Games swimming medal has returned to the competition that kicked off his sporting success.
Co Down man Barry McClements had his right leg amputated above the knee due to a rare birth defect called fibular hemimelia when he was just 10 months old.
And, had it not been for the Disability Sport NI Swim Ulster event, the 21-year-old Paralympic swimmer from Comber may never have taken bronze in the men’s 100m backstroke S9 at last year’s Games.
Read more: NI swimmer Barry McClements makes history at Commonwealth Games
Barry’s comments came during this year’s Swim Ulster competition - organised by Disability Sport NI and backed by Progressive Building Society - at South Lakes Leisure Centre, Craigavon, on June 17, which he attended to lend support to fellow swimmers.
“My first competitive race was at this Disability Sport NI swimming competition ten years ago. I was 11 years old, won silvers and bronzes, caught the competition bug and joined the local swimming club,” he recalled.
Barry, who lives with dad Barry, mum Kelly-Anne, brother Cruz, 7, sisters Madison, 14, and Megan, 17, and stepbrother Cameron, 21, initially started competing against able bodied swimmers.
“I was able to beat them as well so that’s when we realised I was actually good at swimming,” he said.
But it wasn’t all plain sailing… or rather swimming for Barry who revealed that when he was 13, he wanted to throw in the towel but his dad persuaded him to “give it one more season”.
And, during that time, Paralympics Ireland came looking for him.
“One of their coaches saw me in competition and took me to get internationally classified,” Barry said.
“I qualified for the European Championships and only missed qualifying for the Rio Olympics by one second. I was only 14 so it was a real confidence boost that I could get that close at that age.”
Barry kept swimming and went to both the European and World Championships. Then Covid struck – but not before he’d qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. He also competed in the 2018 Commonwealths in Australia.
Winning bronze in Birmingham last year is Barry’s greatest achievement to date because, as he says it was his first major international medal and also Northern Ireland’s first swimming medal.
He’s currently working towards the World Championships in Manchester at the end of July, where he’ll compete in the 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly as part of the Paralympics Ireland team.
His goals are “to keep the fourth (backstroke) and fifth (butterfly) positions I got at World’s last year but get faster times and personal bests”.
Barry’s timetable is packed with training and studies, with eight swimming sessions – at either 7am or 4.30pm – and three gym sessions per week, and Sundays off.
He’s also due to complete a Strength and Conditioning online degree next April, with an aspiration of becoming a coach when he stops swimming competitively.
Having found himself back where it all began last Saturday on his 10th anniversary, Barry paid tribute to Disability Sport NI’s work in this field.
“I went to the event to give encouragement to other swimmers,” he said.
“If it wasn’t for that Swim Ulster competition, I probably wouldn’t have had the confidence to keep swimming, and I doubt that I’d have been joining a club.
“That was my first competition. If I hadn’t done that, I probably wouldn’t have gone to the swimming club or started racing at other competitions.”
After the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Barry returned to his alma mater in Newtownards, Westwinds Primary School, to talk to his former teachers and pupils.
“It was pretty cool. It was nice to show the kids that if I can be successful, having gone to their school, then they can be successful too one day,” he said.
For now, hasn’t set himself any goals, other than to continue getting personal bests.
“Trying to get as fast as I can is my main target. I’m aiming for the Paralympics in Paris and the next Commonwealth Games in Australia. I’ll then see how my times are and what the competition’s like and decide if I’ll keep going,” Barry said.
Disability Sport NI’s Aubrey Bingham thanked Barry for being there to support this year’s Swim Ulster event.
Meanwhile, Michael Boyd, Deputy Chief Executive and Finance Director at Progressive Building Society, said it was delighted to partner with Disability Sport NI and praised the organisation for its excellent work across the region.
When asked what drew him to swimming, Barry said it was “a great leveller”.
“With my leg, I can run but I can't keep up with somebody with two legs. But with swimming, if you have a better technique than somebody, or you’re stronger, then you’re going to be able to keep up, no matter what,” he said.
“It’s a really good sport for people with a disability because there isn’t a big difference whenever you get to a high level.”
Barry admitted that, remarkably, he has off days, like the rest of us but he pushes on.
He added: “Still going and doing something when you don’t want to do it, is the difference between good and great.”
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