Last week, Thomas Borg, a 16-year-old swimmer, posted this video to his Facebook page, showing a snippet of his intense training regime as he prepares to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

The video, which shows the dedicated teen endure some intense workouts at the gym, quickly racked up over 5k views (and counting), with several sharing it, along with messages of support and encouragement for this inspirational youth.

In between bouts of training, I caught up with Thomas to learn a little more about his goals, and gain some insight into his love for the sport.

The teen looks back on how it all started, in 2015. “I was preparing myself for the MATSEC exams when a swimming coach approached my sports master and invited me to start training,” Thomas says. Admitting that he was reluctant at first, he explains, “obviously this wasn’t my forte, being born with my right hand shorter than my left, but this didn’t stop me, and I decided to give it a go.”

And the rest, as they say, is history! Asked whether he encountered any challenges within the course of his training, the easy-going teen insists that there weren’t, affirming, “I was always very determined and would overcome any obstacles standing between me and my goals.” Rather than dwelling on the difficulties, Thomas goes on to emphasise the importance of adjusting his training to his needs, so as to continue giving it his all. “It was very important for me to adapt accordingly so what I’m doing doesn’t injure me or cause imbalances of any sort, so as to continue working on my training.”

Speaking of his intention to qualify for the Paralympics, the athlete maintains, “I believe that all dreams can come true with dedication and sacrifice. I want to show everyone that they can do whatever they set their mind to. As a friend of mine says, ‘cast aside the barriers and don’t let other people’s judgement bring you down’ – who aspires, achieves.”

Hoping to participate in the 50 metres freestyle, 100 metres freestyle, 100 metres backstroke and the 100 metres breaststroke at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, Thomas’ training schedule is not to be sniffed at, comprising nine swimming sessions a week, two sessions of strength and conditioning a week, as well as cardio training.

And the young athlete knows what it takes to succeed, having already competed in a Paralympic meet in Berlin in July 2017, where he took part in the 50 metres freestyle and breaststroke, as well as the 100 metres freestyle and breaststroke. Now, Thomas’ goal is front and centre in his mind, with lots of training in the pool and gym over the next two years, as well as a number of international meets, hopefully including the World championships in Malaysia in summer 2019.

Finally, before I let the dedicated teen get back to his impressive regime, I ask, what would his message be, to potential athletes who are considering taking up a sport but are concerned about their disability?

“My message is not to let your mind limit you to your abilities. A great quote by a famous athlete that I like to go by is, ‘I always felt that my greatest asset is not my physical ability, it is my mental ability.’ There is no reason not to try. Yes, obstacles will be placed in front of you but that shouldn’t stop you from reaping the rewards after. Finding a person with similar abilities as you, doing the same sport at a high competitive level is also a great aid, and you can really relate to them.”