Róisín Ní Riain calls for more coverage of Para athletes

At just 21 years old, Róisín Ní Riain has achieved what many para athletes could only dream of in the swimming pool.

Ní Riain won a silver and bronze medal for the S13 100m backstroke and 200m individual medley in the Paris Paralympics, which was followed by five medals at last year's world championships.

Having made her Paralympic debut in Tokyo at just 16, the Limerick woman already has a lot of experience at such a young age.

In 2023, she also won gold and silver at the World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester.

Ní Riain was born with coloboma, an area of missing tissue in the eye, which reduces her visual acuity and periphery.

Growing up, she admitted she did not think people who are visually impaired like her could go on to achieve such success.

Speaking to BreakingNews.ie, she hopes the next generation can take inspiration from her success.

"It is important to increase the visibility of para sport", says Ni Riain.

"For young kids, it is important to see people out there who are like them. For me, I didn't know any visually impaired people growing up.

"It was only when I got to the para swimming circuit that I got to know people like me.

"The visibility and the opportunity for people to get to meet people with a disability will help grow it more."

After the heroics in Paris, the Limerick woman did not slow down in 2025, winning five medals at the World Para Championships.

Winning medals in the 100m backstroke, 200m individual medley, 100m breaststroke and 400m freestyle, the one she took huge satisfaction from was the 100m butterfly medal.

"I came fourth in Paris, by a small margin, but not too small.

"I knew if I wanted to get on the podium, I would really have to put the work in. For me, that event was