Lyndon Longhorne: 'He's a winner to us'

Lyndon is determined to win a place in the Great Britain swimming squad – something he has dreamt of since the age of 13.

The 16-year-old had his legs and an arm and the finger tips of his other hand amputated after contracting meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia when he was eight-and-a-half months old.

But Lyndon has shone in the pool since his grandfather, Terry Wheeldon, taught him to swim at the age of two.

His mother, Tammy Shevels, said: “We are so proud of him. He has come so far and what he has achieved shows how dedicated he is to his swimming.

“We have never put any pressure on him. Swimming is something he has always enjoyed.

“We really hope he qualifies, but if not, it doesn’t matter. He has achieved so much just to get to this point and if he has to wait until the 2016 Paralympics then he will be even better."

Mrs Shevels will be in the crowd watching her son compete throughout the weeklong qualifiers, leaving Lyndon’s stepfather, Kenny, and his younger brothers, Kenny and Kane, at home in Crook, County Durham.

“I missed the ticket deadline because we didn’t think he would make the qualifiers,” said Mrs Shevels. “It’s not that we didn’t have any faith, but we were surprised at how much he has improved. I managed to get a ticket when I explained to the organisers.”

Lyndon trains in the morning, often reaching the poolside by 5am, then he heads off to King James I Academy, in Bishop Auckland, to study for his GCSEs, before going to his second training session of the day.

He recently qualified for £3,000-a-year in funding, but Mrs Shevels said this does not stretch very far.

“It is quite expensive and it has been hard, but it is all worth it,” she said. “Lyndon qualified for funding in October, but it is based on his performance so it not guaranteed.

“Whatever happens at the trials we will always be proud of what he has achieved. We will just have to wait and see.”