A YOUNG swimmer from Bridport has had his hopes of making the Great Britain Paralympics team boosted.

Harry Stewart, 20, has been awarded £1,000 from the Dorset Community Foundation’s Lord Lieutenant’s Fund for Young and Talented.

The fund helps with buying kit and clothing or to cover the cost of competition entry fees, coaching, travel and accommodation.

This year it has awarded more than £11,000 to 15 young sports people.

Harry will learn this Monday, May 20 if he has been selected for the Paralympic squad.

The 100m breaststroke and butterfly swimmer has given himself every chance by winning gold on his debut for Great Britain in the breaststroke at the European Championships in Madeira last month.

Dorset Echo: Harry Stewart with the gold medal he won on his first outing for Great Britain at the European Championships in Madeira last monthHarry Stewart with the gold medal he won on his first outing for Great Britain at the European Championships in Madeira last month (Image: Dorset Community Foundation)

Harry, who has Asperger’s, said: “It would mean a lot for me to get to the Paralympics, it is probably the biggest thing you can get to swim in, it's a great experience.

“There's only a small margin of people that get to go, it's every four years and only 24 people get picked, ten boys and 14 girls. And obviously there's so many people trying to get into the squad so it would just be amazing.”

He dedicated his victory in Madeira to his stepfather Matthew Norris, who died suddenly in February.

His mum Dinah said: “The fact that Harry has managed to keep going has shown his strength of character because it's not been easy for all of us.”

She also looks after Harry’s severely disabled younger brother Louis and works part-time as a receptionist at Caroline Street Aesthetics in Beaminster.

She and Harry applied for the grant to help with the costs of having to train and compete. Although some of the financial burden is borne by British Swimming, Dinah has to find most of it.

She said: “Harry swims with the Plymouth Leander swimming club and had to move there from West Dorset Swimming Club because there is not a 50m pool in Dorset.

“So he has to live in Plymouth and I have to run two households, as well as pay for his food, travel and coaching.

"Without the support of his grandparents and also sponsorship from people like my boss Caroline Street, I couldn't have kept it all going.”

Harry has been swimming competitively since he joined Bridport Barracudas at the age of nine.

He followed his coach, Chris Beal from Bridport to South Dorset Tornadoes on Portland.

When he retired Harry moved to West Dorset Swimming Club and under the guidance of coach Colin Cracknell.

He opted to compete at Paralympic level because he and Dinah felt it was more suited to his condition.

Harry added: “Para is still as competitive but you get an environment where I can perform better because the coaches understand how my mind works.

 “My stress levels and anxiety go up when I’m racing but the para coaches know how to deal with it. If I'm at a normal competition, I don't really get that.”

He continued:  “I want to win a Paralympic medal and show people that having a low IQ, ASD or learning impairment is nothing to be ashamed of.

“You can still do things that other people may not be able to. Sport, and especially swimming, are what helped my confidence at school when I found everything else stressful and difficult.”

Find out more about the work of the foundation at dorsetcommunityfoundation.org.