Triathlon: Amputee Jack McSweeney completes first event

Some people are said to swim like a fish, but not Jack McSweeney. He swims like a dolphin.

An initially undiagnosed broken neck, sustained playing club rugby in Waikato in 2006, led to McSweeney's left arm being amputated at the shoulder.

The amputation started a sporting odyssey leading to the world of triathlons, and a unique swimming stroke.

"When I met him I got in the pool myself and tied my arm down by my side," coach Murray O'Donnell said at the Eves Pilot Bay Classic Triathlon on Monday.

"I swam five or six lengths with the normal style - stroking, turning and breathing - and it was really difficult. So he swims kind of like a dolphin, where he keeps himself sort of on his side.

"He keeps the movement going all the time and finds it really comfortable."

The former Waikato under-15 rugby coach's progress has been rapid.

"When we started coaching last March he had to stop on almost every length. We gave him a programme and did a lot of work with him, initially to give him a bit of incentive. He's got up now to doing more than 40 lengths and has a harder programme."

O'Donnell, the reigning world champion in the M65-69 classification and a qualified level two coach, says McSweeney has a big chance of representing New Zealand at the 2016 Paralympics.

McSweeney suffers phantom pains down his left side due to the rugby injury that reads like a horror story.

"I broke my neck at C1 and C2 playing rugby and no one diagnosed it," McSweeney said. "I had a week off and then played for a couple more weeks, then six weeks after the injury, went into a copybook tackle and tore the nerves out of my spine. That's when they found out I had a broken neck, which led to operation after operation."

With the procedures completed, McSweeney turned his attention to his love of competition.

"With my phantom pain I tried rowing and also small-bore rifle shooting, but it was difficult finding people to work with in rowing in such a small country.

"The shooting was all right but I had pain issues. If I made it to worlds and had a bad day with pain I wouldn't have been able to compete to my full extent.

"With swimming, cycling and running I've found I can get through it.

"It makes it a bit tough on the bike, the arm gets a bit of cramp, but you just have to work through it like any sport.

"Heaps of people go through trails and tribulations, you've just got to take a positive attitude and it can be easy to get through."

McSweeney moved to Bay of Plenty from Matamata about four years ago and works in primary schools under the Athletics NZ umbrella.