PARALYMPIAN Rebecca Redfern aims to do Worcestershire proud by returning with a medal from Rio.

The 16-year-old world record holder from Droitwich Spa is competing in the visually impaired S13 100-metre breaststroke on Sunday, having qualified for Team GB at trials earlier this year.

Redfern’s rapid rate of improvement under Worcester Swimming Club head coach Mark Stowe since starting out on the Paralympic path in September 2014 quickly put her on course for Brazil rather than waiting for Tokyo 2020.

At April’s British Para-Swimming meet in Glasgow, she broke the 100m breaststroke world record in her category with an almost two-second personal best, a time of one minutes 16.86 seconds, to secure her place.

Ten days later at the IPC European Championships in Madeira on her international debut, she was narrowly beaten to gold by 0.02 seconds by London 2012 silver medallist Elena Krawzow, who clocked 1.17.44.

The German will be among Redfern’s main rivals in Rio and she lowered the world record again in June by swimming 1.16.23 in Berlin.

But the teenager has since reclaimed the bragging rights by setting a new best of 1.15.96 at the British Summer Championships while juggling her GCSEs at Droitwich Spa High School.

Redfern’s father Steve, an official and committee member at Worcester, said: “I’m so proud of my daughter but also really chuffed with the standard of coaching she receives.

“I’m very grateful for the support from swimmers and parents throughout the club.

“This is a really exciting time for our family and we welcome and appreciate the opportunity to share the success with our wider swimming family.”

Redfern is supported by Worcester Swimming Pool operator Freedom Leisure, who run a talented athlete scheme to help prospects across the UK with free access to training facilities.

The company’s manager James Chaplin said: “We are super excited to see Rebecca compete in Rio.

“The Olympics and Paralympics are inspiring and we always see increased participation in the pool as a result, but it becomes more special when you have a local athlete competing. We wish Becky luck.”

Redfern has boosted her times with the help of strength and conditioning training at the University of Worcester.

The teen, who has a degenerative eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa, is joined in Rio by her father and brother.