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. Photo / Paul Taylor
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. Photo / Paul Taylor
A para swimmer from Napier making a splash on the national stage will have the chance to do so again at an Oceania and Asia-based competition.
Para swimmer Lance Dustow, 21, took home five medals at the Apollo Projects National Swimming Championships in April.
The haul includes three silvers, onebronze and a gold in the 50m butterfly, successfully defending his 2021 national title.
Now he is set to go to the Virtus Oceania Asia Games, a multisports event for people with disabilities, held in Brisbane, November 5 to 12.
His passion for swimming is closely intertwined with his competitive spirit.
"Swimming is my life. I've got the drive and I'm really competitive. Don't challenge me at Monopoly, please don't!"
Dustow has fetal valproate syndrome and competes in the S14 category, which is for athletes with intellectual disabilities that impair reaction times, pattern recognition, sequencing and memory.
He trains 13 to 14 hours a week, attends the gym twice a week, and has a personal strength trainer to maintain his high performance.
He is part of the Greendale Senior Swim Squad and is coached by Gary Knight, head coach at the Greendale Swim Club.
Lance Dustow with his coach Gary Knight, head coach of the Greendale swim club. Photo / Paul Taylor
Knight is the only silver-accredited coach in Hawke's Bay.
Silver accreditation certifies a coach for training swimmers at national qualifying level or higher.
"Gary has tremendously helped me, oh my gosh," Dustow said.
Knight said Lance still had lots of improvement left in him.
"Paramount to his success, and every other swimmer, is maintaining his enjoyment of swimming through the sometimes gruelling training.
"Long-term development of sportspeople is very much at the forefront of our club."
Dustow qualified for the national championships in 2019.
His improvement has been exponential as he set new personal bests and eventually got four medals in 2021, three silvers and the gold in the 50 fly, before his five medals this year.
"I've improved heaps and I feel like I've still got more in me though," Dustow said.
Dustow won three silvers, one bronze and a gold in the 50m butterfly at the Apollo Projects National Swimming Championships, successfully defending his 2021 national title. Photo / Paul Taylor
His mum, Nikki Dustow, said Lance loves being a part of the team at Greendale.
"He loves cheering on the others and they can cheer him on too,"
She said Lance and Knight were close and he had trained with him one on one for two years before getting onto the senior squad.
"Communication between them is really great."
"It's always been his dream to represent New Zealand and in November, he'll be living his dream."
If Dustow performs well at the Virtus Oceania Asia Games, he will go on to compete at the Virtus Global Games in France next year.
