Thursday, September 16, 2004

At 16, Claire Williams from Camarthen in West Wales is one of the youngest members of the British Paralympic team.

She's a discus thrower competes in the F13 category for the visually impaired.

Claire has albinism, a genetic condition which affects the body's production of melanin, the chemical that gives colour to hair, skin and eyes.

As well as the characteristic pale skin and blonde or white hair, the lack of pigment in the eyes often results in visual impairment.

Claire began her sporting career in able bodied sports -- and did well at school level. She told me she switched to disability sport because the prospect of competing at the Paralympics in Athens seemed more appealing than a schools championship on a wet weekend on Deeside.

Here's an audioblog with Claire. It's a 387Kb MP3 download.

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