Shaw ready for business

Under the lights of the Tokyo Aquatics Centre last August, Shaw kick-started the tally of 26 medals won by ParalympicsGB in the pool as she secured bronze with a new personal best in her 400m Freestyle event. However, much like her 18th birthday, which had come on the eve of flying to Tokyo, any real celebrations were on hold as the S9 swimmer focussed on the rest of her Games programme.

It was only on returning to the family and friends who had supported her from home that it all began to sink in, as Shaw explains: “I was so happy with the bronze, but I think throughout the competition, because I had more events afterwards, it was one of those situations where you kind of have to, not forget about it, but put it aside to focus on the next race.

“When I came back [from Tokyo] and had my break it was really special being able to see all my friends and family to properly celebrate it. I’ve been told they were all on TV quite a lot so I’d seen a few bits of them, videos of my mum and stuff. I knew they would all be watching but seeing things like friends with t-shirts with my name on, it was just so nice knowing I had so many people back home supporting.”

A fresh chapter beckoned in the autumn, with a place to study for a degree in Business at the University of Stirling. Speaking of the transition, Shaw commented: “I’ve moved away from home to start uni, so taken quite a lot of new things at once - but I’m really enjoying training at Stirling, the team here is so nice! There’s a lot of new things like cooking for myself, doing my cleaning, all that sort of stuff but I think it was at the perfect time after a Games - you’ve got a few years to the next one to kind of get used to a new style of life and being a bit more independent.

“I’m really enjoying it, I think I kind of took for granted how much stuff my family did for me when I was at home but I’m definitely getting used to it.”

A visit home is on the cards, however, with the Para Swimming World Series in Aberdeen next week (17th-20th February). Shaw is excited to be heading back to familiar surroundings.

“I actually was in Aberdeen for a university league match last week, so that was really weird going back there and going back to the pool, but I get to stay at home so that’s an added bonus and I obviously love the Aberdeen pool. It’s incredible – I’m going back there to lots of good memories," said the freestyle and butterfly specialist.

“This year is the Commonwealth Games year so I’ve got 100m Freestyle and 200m Individual Medley to target which aren’t normally my main races, so I’ve been training a bit more specifically towards those two events rather than them just being an additional part of my programme.”

Shaw’s international debut came at just 14 years old on the Gold Coast in 2018 for Team Scotland, and the Birmingham 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games, in addition to the Madeira 2022 Para Swimming World Championships, are the Paralympic medallist's main target meets for the coming year.

“Racing for Scotland is something that only comes around once every four years, so I love the competition and definitely hoping I’ll be there with family able to come and watch in Birmingham," she said.

“At Worlds, I’m targeting racing everything that I can. Well, everything that I usually do in racing there.”

Shaw’s prior international performances on home soil at London 2019 saw her win an incredible six medals, including two golds as part of World Championship winning relay quartets. Standing on the blocks with her teammates is an experience the teenager thrives on, and the proposed introduction of new mixed relay formats for Paris 2024 is one she sees as a positive addition.

“Being part of the team is something I really enjoy, because obviously swimming is mainly an individual sport, so when you get to do a relay it’s so nice to be racing with everyone else,” added Toni.

“I literally just got an email about a few new relays being added to Paris, so it’s super exciting and I’ll hopefully be a part of the relays this year at Worlds because I just love being in them.

“I watched the mixed relay at the Olympics and seeing Team GB win the gold medal was amazing - you never really know how it’s going to go with a girl diving in or a guy diving in and it’s never over until they actually touch the wall. I think those relays are really exciting and though I don’t know if I’d be in the relay, as we have such a strong team that I don’t know who’d be in it, even if I am just watching it I see it as an exciting addition.”

Away from the competition side of swimming, Shaw is an ambassador for Scottish Swimming’s ‘Learn To Swim’ programme. Having participated in the programme in her formative years, she now takes great joy in seeing other learn life skills in the water, commenting: “I absolutely love it, it is such an amazing thing and I know my experience of Learn to Swim is basically why I swim now, they made me enjoy it so much.

“I’ve seen other people on Learn To Swim, getting those skills to be safe in the water and it’s so special to see them have such a good time as it reminds me of when I was learning, so I love being able to help speak about that and encouraging others on that journey.”

Aberdeen Sports Village’s Aquatics Centre will play host to a Para Swimming World Series event across 17-20 February, with the four-day competition incorporating the domestic British Para-Swimming Meet 2022. Find out more about the event here.