Medal-winning swimmer Grace Davison takes inspiration from Commonwealth Games experience and dreams of Paris Olympics

Bethany Firth (gold), Daniel Whiffen (silver) and Barry McClements (bronze) all achieved podium finishes at the Games and a then 14-year-old Davison was inspired to emulate her team-mates’ feats at the Youth Commonwealth Games Trinidad and Tobago.

The teenager certainly did herself proud, with Davison – who turned 16 during her time in the Caribbean – returned home with a gold and silver medal.

“I was definitely the youngest by a fair bit [in Birmingham], I really enjoyed it and to be honest I’m always the kind of youngest at things, so I am kind of used to it by now,” she said.

“It is nothing too strange but hopefully some younger ones will come through and I won’t be the youngest anymore!”

Looking back at the Commonwealth Games last summer, Davison said she was stunned to be selected for Team NI.

“I was shocked to be selected; at the start of that year it was never something that I thought I was going to,” she said.

“When it came round to our Irish trials, which I qualified at in the relay, there was talk of it but I kind of put it out of my mind.

“I was just focusing on what I was doing and then maybe like a month later we got the selection emails.

“It was shocking to be going but it was exciting to get back into training and work really hard for it, and it was a big goal to look forward to.

“I just wanted to take in the surroundings. I had been to big competitions but none as big as that and I still haven’t been to one as big as that.

“I knew I was the youngest on the relay and probably the third fastest, so I knew I had to step up and perform for those older girls and help make the relay as fast as possible, so there was a bit of motivation in that aspect,” she added.

“Someone like Danielle (Hill), who has been around in swimming and sport a long time, is a really good role model, so I definitely looked up to her and the others in different sports as well.”

Two of Davison’s Ards club mates won medals in Birmingham, with Bethany Firth and Barry McClements earning gold and bronze respectively.

“It was quite nice to put Northern Ireland out there in the swimming and to get everyone to hear about us a bit more,” said Davison.

“I train with Bethany; we’re always in the lane together and I’m with Barry a few days a week now.

“It’s nice that we are close and we all train together in Bangor Aurora, and we are all members of Ards, so it is nice just to know that you are part of such a high-performance club.”

Davison had to overcome a health setback before making the plane to Trinidad and Tobago, which only further underscored her achievements in the pool.

“Three weeks prior to the competition I got tonsillitis so I didn’t actually think I was going to end up going, so to turn it around like that… yes my time wasn’t what I expected, but I knew [it wasn’t going to be as fast] because I could hardly breathe,” she said.

“I knew if I got the chance to go, I was just going to try my best, I recovered slowly but I got there and I touched the wall first and second.

“It was a pretty surreal experience, everything happened so fast, so you really don’t get the chance to let it sink in.

“Even being at the Commonwealths last year swimming and seeing everyone do their medal ceremonies, I knew that was something that I want to be a part of some day.

“It was really nice; my parents were over there in Trinidad, so it was nice for them to see it and my family and friends back home were watching it – it was nice to stand in front of the Northern Ireland flag and just be proud.

“To get the youth medals means maybe there is a chance that I can get that Commonwealth medal when I am older.”

Davison’s journey in swimming began by following her sister into the pool.

“My sister Mia swam from quite a young age, so it was just something that I fell into,” she said.

“She went to quite a competitive level; her biggest competition was the European Youth Olympics in Hungary.

“Me and my family went over to watch and just seeing that level of competition inspired me to be at that level, to compete with people like that and to represent Ireland and Northern Ireland.

“I kind of just took off from there. I went to quite a few competitions last year like the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, I just really enjoyed it and I want to continue that and see where it goes.”

Davison won her medals in the 200m (silver) and 400m (gold) Individual Medley and says she prefers the variation in the spool rather than concentrating solely on one discipline.

“I think as a younger swimmer when I started, I was really pushed to do all the strokes by my coaches – even now [with] my coach Curtis Coulter we’re working on the individual medley with a sprint front crawl,” she said. “I think it keeps the sport interesting instead of one stroke all the time.

“I’m going to focus a bit more on sprint freestyle and I am going to keep the medley going and incorporate them both together.”

After her shock call-up for Birmingham, Davison hasn’t ruled out going to next summer’s Paris Olympics.

“I have some competitions and European galas up to Christmas and then whatever comes after that and whatever I’m selected for, and then the Olympic trials,” she explained.

“Paris is very soon but after last year being at Commonwealths you never know, but it is a faraway dream, maybe 2028 would be a more of a realistic focus.”