Bunbury Bullet Alex Saffy is ready to dive into the Commonwealth Games
Alex Saffy, or the Bunbury Bullet as he is better known is set to dive into his first Commonwealth Games today.
The 16-year-old made his first Para World Swimming Championships appearance in Portugal earlier this year, where he claimed a bronze medal in the S10 100m butterfly.
“I’m really looking forward to competing at the Commonwealth Games”
“I would love to get on the podium at the Games, but overall I am just looking forward to the experience and will be soaking in the atmosphere and try to do my best for the team.”
Earlier this year, Saffy made the difficult decision to join the swimming program at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, to give himself the best opportunity to achieve international classification.
“I was very fortunate to have been offered a scholarship into the AIS program. It was a hard decision to move away from my family in Bunbury and the opportunities that had been offered to me at WAIS. But it was a good decision for my long-term goals in the end.
“WAIS have been great throughout the process and have provided me with so many opportunities. They are amazing at looking after the whole athlete and do so much to support you as a person and an athlete.
“I am really appreciative of all the support I have received from Will Scott and the rest of the team at WAIS, they have been so encouraging and have helped me so much.”
The teenage swimming sensation has dyskinetic cerebral palsy and used to swim in able-bodied races, however as the symptoms progressed, he was encouraged to take up para-swimming and he hasn’t looked back.
“When I was diagnosed with my condition I kind of just carried on with life as I had before, I was so used to thinking that the way I did things was normal.
“But it was actually far from it when I look back. I used to really struggle with being disqualified in able bodied events because my feet would spasm on the blocks.”
After receiving his multi class national classification in April 2021, Saffy’s international classification soon followed suit in February this year.
“After receiving my international classification, I was also awarded with my Australian Dolphin number, P319. This was a huge honour!”
Saffy is the current Wally Foreman Foundation scholar, the foundation was established to support opportunities Wally, the first Director of WAIS, would have championed for future generations of athletes to pursue excellence in sport.