ARARAT Fitness Centre gave 2016 Rio Paralympian Ellie Cole a warm homecoming on Sunday.
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The centre recognised Cole’s achievement and wish her all the best representing Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games.
Ellie will become a triple Olympian when she attends the Rio Games in September, having also represented Australia at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Paralympic Games.
After competing at the 2016 Hancock Prospecting Australian Swimming Olympic Trials in Adelaide, Ellie has come back to Ararat to visit her parents, Jenny and Don Cole, and celebrate qualifying for the Australian team.
Ararat Fitness Centre management Unified Community Sport and Leisure (UCSL) staged the day to help Ellie promote awareness of the Australian Paralympic Team.
It also announced Ellie is welcome to use the facility anytime she is home from her training in Sydney.
“Ellie has strong links to the Ararat community”, UCSL Director Ron Bongetti, said.
“When she returns to Ararat, she often works with our swimming club and their swimmers.
“It gives us great pride to recognise Ellie and wish her well on her Paralympic campaign.”
Joining Ellie at the pool were clients and representatives of Pinnacle Services, an Ararat based agency providing life and leisure experiences to people with a disability.
Ellie spoke about how she qualified to go to her third Paralympics and in doing so, she broke the world record in the 50 metre freestyle event. Interestingly, Ellie had a Japanese film crew following her as part of a television special being created for Japanese television.
“Breaking Natalie du Toit's S9 world record of 29.04 is a career highlight for me,” said Ellie.
“Natalie is a legend of our sport and to break her record gives me great confidence going to Rio.
“I've been on the Australian swim team for 10 years now and performances like that just really remind you of what it is all about."
Ararat Rural City and Ararat Fitness Centre wish Ellie every success and look forward to giving her a hero’s welcome when she returns from Rio. To donate to the Paralympic Team, visit www.paralympic.org.au.