At just 15, Faulconbridge swimmer Jenna Jones has been named in the Australian Paralympic swimming squad.
She is one of the youngest members of the 31-strong team that will compete in Rio from September 7-16.
It follows outstanding performances this past week in every event she entered at the Rio trials in Adelaide.
Jenna, who competes in the multi-class events in the S13 category for vision-impaired swimmers, has met the qualification times for the 50m, 100m and 400m freestyle events, 100m backstroke and 100m breaststroke.
Her coach Nick Robinson said he would be having discussions with Swimming Australia in the next few days to decide which events to target.
“It’s pretty exciting for her,” Robinson said. “She’s put in a lot of hard work over the last two years.”
Robinson has been training Jenna at the Springwood Aquatic and Fitness Centre for the past two years, and Jenna only started swimming seven years ago.
He immediately saw the talent she possessed.
“I saw she had the potential to take it right to the top,” Robinson said.
“I thought this kid’s got great balance in the water.”
Jenna’s mum Therese, who has been by her daughter’s side in Adelaide throughout the Australian Age Championships and the Rio trials, was still digesting the announcement made late on Wednesday night.
“I’m still in shock and I think I am today too. Is this for real? … She was very determined and working very hard and I held hope that she would make it this time [to the Rio Paralympics],” Mrs Jones said.
Jenna went immediately into a Paralympics camp following the announcement and was not contactable.