Double Paralympic swimming champion Maisie Summers-Newton hopes to remain top of her class in Paris after qualifying as a primary school teacher.
Summers-Newton will defend her SB6 100m breaststroke and SM6 200m medley titles in the French capital following an A* performance on debut in Tokyo.
The 22-year-old subsequently enrolled on a full-time teaching course at Northampton University and will graduate in November after receiving her results earlier this summer.
Yet she will not be swapping the pool for the classroom any time soon, having chalked up multiple world titles and Commonwealth gold during the past two years.
“It’s been quite intense but I’m someone who loves being busy and I’ve been able to have that life outside of sport, which is really important,” Summers-Newton, who competes in the 100m on Friday, told the PA news agency.
“Sport, as much as I would love to stay in it forever, it’s not going to last forever – hopefully it will last a few more years.
“Anything could happen with injury, you don’t know what will happen, that’s the nature of sport.
“I’m just someone who likes to be prepared, so having that as a back-up, it’s always there for me.”
Topping the podium twice in Japan propelled Summers-Newton from little-known newcomer to one of ParalympicsGB’s headline acts.
With Ellie Simmonds and Ellie Robinson having retired after the last Games, she is one of only two reigning champions in GB’s current swimming squad, alongside S5 100m freestyle gold title holder Tully Kearney.
Despite her previous successes and new-found senior status, Summers-Newton will not be troubled by the weight of expectation.
“There’s always the perception of, ‘she’s double Paralympic champion so she’s got to come away with the same amount of medals again’,” she said.
“But before going into Tokyo, I would never have dreamed of coming away with two gold medals so that’s my ultimate dreams come true.
“To add more on to that would be absolutely amazing and fulfil even more of my dreams.
“Fingers crossed it will happen but I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself.”
