Family Of Danny Rumsey, World Champion Swimmer, Decry Rules Keeping Him From Paralympics

Growing up, Friday nights meant aiming for a personal best at Moss Vale Swimming Club, eating at least three sausage sandwiches and seeing Danny Rumsey win every race he entered.

My dad would often end up competing against Danny at Moss Vale, but my sister and I knew there was no real point cheering for him. He never had a chance.

Danny is a 27-year-old world champion swimmer, from the NSW Southern Highlands. He also has Down syndrome. Yet Danny won’t be competing in the 2016 Paralympics – beginning this week - because there isn’t a category into which people with Down syndrome can fairly participate.

Competition in Paralympic swimming is divided into three categories for those with physical, vision or intellectual impairments. Swimmers with Down syndrome can try to qualify in the intellectual impairment category; however, this would mean racing against able-bodied competitors with intellectual impairments.

Down Syndrome Swimming Australia president Simon Cox recently told the ABC that this is unfair.

“They can’t compete on a level playing field,” he said.

Danny’s older brother Andrew is just one of the many people wanting the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to update its rules, giving people with Down syndrome and their parents a sense of hope.

“When Danny was born, my parents were told, ‘Don’t expect a lot from this child,’” he explained to Student Edge.

“I think things turned around for mum and dad when… they saw a Down syndrome child skiing on TV.”

Danny and Andrew’s dad, John, is the CEO of the Down Syndrome International Swimming Organisation. He hopes the IPC will establish a Down syndrome swimming category before Danny stops racing.

“He’s also very aware that things like this take a lot of time, a lot of energy,” Andrew said.

“You need the Down syndrome swimming organisations from every country to be on board. And it’s not just swimming; it would be other sports as well."

Andrew says their shared love of swimming dates back to primary school, when he and Danny would compete at Bundanoon Swimming Club.

“His coach … got him to join the same squad I was in at Moss Vale pool, and Danny kept up with the rest of the kids,” he said.

“Danny realised this was something he liked winning at and wanted to keep working hard at.”

And keep winning he did. At this year’s Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships, Danny broke six world records and won seven gold medals.

“I love swimming, it is my favourite sport. I do not give up,” Danny told the ABC.

“I am happy; I am very proud.”

The Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships only exist because of the IPC’s refusal to make the Paralympics accessible to people with Down syndrome; the world’s largest disabled group.

“That was the short-term answer to the problem,” Andrew said.

However, the Championships aren’t enough, because these swimmers don’t receive the funding, sponsorship or attention that Paralympians do.

“I know that a lot of the other countries get a lot of government support. We’ve got friends on the other teams from South Africa and Canada and England and they all get funding. Australia doesn’t,” Andrew explained.

“All of the swimmers who travel over to these competitions are all doing it themselves. So it’s a huge investment for them.”

Despite the IPC’s refusal, Andrew says they’ll keep pushing for change.

The ultimate goal? For Danny to dive off the blocks at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

“By the next Olympics, he’ll be 31. Realistically, if something is going to change, it has to happen soon for the current swimmers,” Andrew said.

But even if the IPC won't change its stance, Andrew doesn’t see Danny getting out of the pool anytime soon.

“Danny will keep swimming as long as he loves it. Danny will keep swimming, I think, forever,” he said.

Brittney Rigby is one of Student Edge’s student contributors. Learn more about the contributor program.

Photos: Supplied.