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Swimmer overcomes refugee past and fear of water for Commonwealth bronze

From ABC Australia · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Vicky Belando Nicholson, an Australian swimmer with a fibular hemimelia condition, won a bronze medal in the women's 100m backstroke S9 at the Commonwealth Games.
  • Nicholson, who was adopted from a Maltese orphanage after surviving a refugee boat incident as a baby, overcame an early fear of water to achieve this success.
  • She shared the podium with her best friend and teammate Gemma Sellick, who won silver, calling the moment

Vicky Belando Nicholson experienced a full-circle moment on Sunday night in Glasgow, winning Commonwealth Games bronze in the women's 100m backstroke S9. She achieved this with a remarkable swim, coming from sixth place at the turn to secure her first major medal.

It's a bit of a 360 moment. When I first started swimming, I was always scared of the water and now to be a bronze medallist for the Commonwealth Games is just absolutely amazing and hopefully there's more to come.

— Vicky Belando NicholsonReflecting on her bronze medal win at the Commonwealth Games.

Nicholson's journey to the podium is extraordinary. As an infant, she was pulled lifeless from the Mediterranean Sea after falling off a refugee boat in 2008. Her birth mother had died, and she and her sister, Destiny, were taken to an orphanage in Malta. Two years later, Australian couple Ewan and Susana adopted them.

Living with fibular hemimelia, a condition where part of the lower leg bone is missing, Nicholson had every reason to fear water. However, she defied this, becoming a swimmer and now a Commonwealth Games medallist. "When I first started swimming, I was always scared of the water and now to be a bronze medallist for the Commonwealth Games is just absolutely amazing and hopefully there's more to come," she said.

Coming into this event I wasn't ranked high enough, but I ended up coming third, so anything can happen. Just believe.

— Vicky Belando NicholsonCommenting on her unexpected podium finish.

Adding to the emotional victory, Nicholson shared the podium with her 16-year-old best friend and teammate Gemma Sellick, who won silver in the same event. "To do it with my best friend is actually insane," Nicholson stated. Sellick expressed her pride, saying, "I know we've both worked so hard for this and it makes the moment feel even better knowing I can share it with Vicky."

I'm so proud of her. I know we've both worked so hard for this and it makes the moment feel even better knowing I can share it with Vicky and very grateful that we got to share our first together.

— Gemma SellickExpressing pride in her best friend Vicky Belando Nicholson's win.

This achievement marks a significant beginning for the young woman, whose remarkable history now paves the way for a potentially spectacular future.

This was not even a thought I had, I was not expecting this at all. To do it with my best friend is actually insane.

— Vicky Belando NicholsonDescribing her feelings about sharing the podium with her best friend.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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