Para swimmer has France on the horizon

Napier para swimmer Lance Dustow, 21, qualified to represent New Zealand at the Virtus Oceania Asia Games after winning a stack of medals at the national championships.

Living with an intellectual disability has never held back 21-year-old Napier athlete and award-winning quilt maker Lance Dustow.

Lance's dogged determination to go at his own pace and beat the odds has had him win a raft of swimming medals and qualify for the Virtus Oceania Asia Games in Brisbane this year, and the Virtus Global Games in France next year, both multisports events for people living with a disability.

Lance added another five medals to his already-extensive collection hanging on his bedroom wall — three silvers, one bronze and a gold in the 50m butterfly won at the Apollo Projects National Swimming Championships in April. He successfully defended his 2021 national title to win a place in the team to compete at the games.

Lance owes some of his swimming prowess to his Taradale High School sewing teacher Carmel Gardner (née Clark), who went to the Olympics representing New Zealand in the 1984 Summer Olympics, competing in the 100m and 200m backstroke events.

"She decided she would help Lance with his swimming skills on Saturday mornings. Lance absolutely loved these sessions and learnt skills such as tumble-turns, extending his fitness levels," Lance's mum, Nicki, says.

When they first started he couldn't finish a 200m freestyle without stopping. They stopped their Saturday sessions when Lance had progressed enough within mainstream squad training that he was doing Saturday mornings and 200m freestyle in 2:59min.

"Carmel promised him that if he could beat her time of 2:25min she got at the Australian and New Zealand Police Games Federation and won a silver medal for, she would give her medal to him. That medal now hangs proudly on his wall of medals next to his 2022 NZ Opens medals. Lance now has a time of 2:21min."

With both trips self-funded, the Dustow family have already made a dent in the $3000 needed for Brisbane, with all tickets sold to raffle a quilt made by Lance. The keen sewer, who made his own double-breasted waistcoat for his school ball, has also been quilting since he was 12.

"We find the talents and pursue that. We focus on the good things," says Nicki.

Lance says other students at the ball asked him where he got his waistcoat from.

"I said I looked at the pattern. That was pretty impressive. I wanted to push myself."

Pushing himself is par for the course for Lance, who has fetal valproate syndrome and has had surgeries to correct physical impairments caused by his medical condition. Quilting may be in his blood, with his mum and grandmother both avid quilters.

"Quilting is good for my patience, which I still struggle with," he says.

Lance won an achievement award for his first quilt, a project he started after watching Nicki.

"It was a crazy patchwork quilt with no rules. Quilting has been really great for his fine motor skills."

Quilting has also extended Lance in other ways, with a part-time job at JJ Crafts in Taradale.

"I get help there with my quilting and I help in the shop. And I do the vacuuming and have learnt how to serve customers."

With the latest quilting masterpiece all but gone to the lucky ticket-holder, the Dustow family are looking ahead to the next fundraising venture.

"Lance is old enough to understand how much these trips will cost and to take some ownership," Nicki says, who is in the early stages of organising a wine-based fundraiser.

"We're getting close but we also have France now to think about. We have to keep the momentum going and have no idea how much it'll cost."

■ For anyone wishing to donate or learn more about Lance's fundraising email nickiminitankers@gmail.com