WYRE Forest swimmer Claire Cashmore has won a silver medal in the 100m Breaststroke.

The Shuttle recently reported that the swimmer went out to Rio aiming to be the best of the best.

She came a close second in the race, yesterday, with a time of 37.02.

Claire, a student at Northumbria University, has been competing for Great Britain for 12 years.

She made her debut for Paralympics GB as a 16-year-old competing at Athens in 2004.

Since then she has won medals at every level of competition, including six Paralympic medals across three Games.

Speaking before she jetted off, the Wyre Forest Swimming Club member  said: “For me it’s about going to Rio, following a process and being the best that I can possibly be.

"In the past I’ve become fixated on winning the gold but you can’t determine the medal before you get there.

"As I’ve become older and more experienced I’ve realised it just doesn’t make sense to put that kind of pressure on yourself. Being the best that I can be is my mantra now.”

She added: “As soon as the Rio Olympics started and I was watching all of the action from the pool it hit home: this is real.

“I found myself getting emotionally involved from the first minute and I lived, ate and breathed the Olympics for two weeks. I just love it."