Droitwich siblings excited for what's next after Commonwealth Games
Matthew and Rebecca Redfern both competed at the games, with Matthew picking up a bronze medal in the S13 men's 100m freestyle
A brother and sister from Worcestershire have said it was a great occasion getting to compete at this year's Glasgow's Commonwealth Games in front of their loved ones.
Para-swimmers Matthew and Rebecca Redfern from Droitwich both took part in the event, representing Team England in their selected disciplines.
Rebecca was competing just four months after giving birth to her second child, while Matthew finished third in the S13 men's 100m freestyle to secure a place on the podium and a bronze medal.
He said it meant a lot to him after he only came out of retirement a few years ago to make his Paralympics debut at the Paris games, where he swam alongside his sibling in the mixed 4x100m visually impaired freestyle relay.
"To get the medal at the end of it was sort of a testament to the work that I’ve put in throughout the last 3 years," he said.
"I was dragged out of retirement for a couple of the relays with the focus on Paris and then from there it's just gone strength to strength.
"I couldn't have imagined five years ago being sat here now with a bronze medal, it’s the way it's changed, the way it's evolved, the way I've continuously pushed myself and made new boundaries for myself."
On what he enjoyed most about the occasion, he added: "My favourite bit was being able to walk around poolside and I saw my dad and mum up in the crowd so gave them a wave, I spotted my boys that had come up to see me as well and I managed to go and give them a hug because they were brought down to the front.
"That moment of the end of the journey where it's all those people that have been there to support you, not just what you see online or on social media, those people that are there to support you day in, day out, and being able to share that moment with them was spectacular."
His sister Rebecca, who made her Commonwealth Games debut at Birmingham in 2022 in the S13 50m freestyle, competed in the same race this time around, making it through to the final.
Rebecca, who won gold in the SB13 100m breaststroke at the Paris Paralympics, said it was great having her baby girl there along with her son and other family members to cheer her on.
"It added a little bit of a difference to what I've experienced in the past," she said.
"There was no pressure though, it was 4 months after I gave birth and I just had a lot of fun."
Rebecca made her first Paralympic Games appearance at Rio in 2016 at the age of 16 where she picked up a silver medal in the SB13 100m breaststroke, before finishing in the same position at Tokyo 2020.
She then landed gold in Paris, and said she's excited to defend her crown in LA in 2028.
"There’s been two silver Paralympic medals, a gold in Paris, two babies along the way, and I think it's the love of something that just keeps me going," she said.
"I love the sport, I love competing, I love the thrill and obviously I love winning, so I've always got that motivation to get up for training sessions and to just keep going and we're looking forward to the next couple of years leading into LA."