Davidson High’s Declan Budd is heading to the World Para Swimming Championships
Year 12 is pressure enough for most 17-year-olds, but swimming superstar Declan Budd thrives in the fast lane. Declan’s most recent triumph has propelled him into the 2025 World Para Swimming Championship ‘Dolphins’ team.
Declan had long held the 2032 Brisbane Paralympic Games in his sights, but a bumper 2024 swimming season – including setting a world record of 25.7 seconds in the men’s butterfly at the 2024 Australian Short Course Championships – accelerated those dreams and pushed him firmly into the spotlight. The Terrey Hills local was also selected as the youngest male swimmer at the 2024 Para Swimming European Open Championships at just 16. This followed his dominance in the 16 to 18 division at the Australian Age Championships, where he collected seven golds across all strokes. To top off the year, he was chosen for the inaugural Paralympics Australia AIS Para Start Strong Squad.
But there was a time when dominance in sport seemed a distant dream. Declan contracted pneumococcal pneumonia, RSV and swine flu when he was 18 months old, which left him with mild cerebral palsy affecting his right side and an acquired brain injury, neither of which were diagnosed until the age of eight. “It was a relief to have a reason for the symptoms he displayed,” Declan’s mother, Giselle, tells PL. “Verbally he wasn’t able to be understood until he was eight. His speech is still affected now. He had difficulties learning to kick a ball properly and learning to swim was frustrating as one arm was always bent, but he was always very competitive, and sport was what he loved.”
Declan learnt to swim at age five at his local pool in Terrey Hills under now-coach, Rafael Rodrigues. Brazilian-born Rafael, who lives in North Narrabeen, welcomed Declan to the Knox Pymble Swim Club in 2019 as one of only a handful of Para swimmers. Together, they have been taking the paralympic swimming world by storm ever since.
Declan’s most recent victory saw him claim his Dolphin pin – a ‘dream come true’ – finishing second to Jack Ireland in the 200m freestyle multi-class final at the Australian swimming trials in Adelaide, with a time of 1:56.19.
“I had done the qualifying time twice before, but you have to do it at trials to be selected for the team, which meant sticking to my race plan and trying not to get too excited and go out too hard,” says Declan.
“My coach and I have worked on this plan for years and it was such a thrill to see the time when I touched the wall, knowing I had qualified.”
He will now head to the World Para Swimming Championships to be held from 21 to 27 September at the OCBC Aquatic Centre in Singapore, alongside 24 other Dolphins – 22 of whom are returning Paris Paralympians – including opening ceremony flag bearer, Brenden Hall and gold medallist, Ben Hance.
“My friends think I am crazy getting up at 4.30am five mornings a week, going to bed early and all the stuff that comes with being a swimmer,” says Declan. “But they are really great and we hang out when I have free time, often going for a surf or fishing.”
The support of his parents, coach and school has also been vital to his success. “Having them believe in my dreams, and supporting me through it all has meant everything to me.”
Darwin will be the first port of call for Declan and the rest of the 2025 Australian Paralympic Swimming Team, as they complete their staging camp before heading to Singapore. He also has ambitions to make finals at the World Championships, compete in next year’s Commonwealth Games and reach the LA and Brisbane Paralympic Games. Before that, he plans to turn his attention to his Certificate 2 in Construction at Davidson High School, as well as squeezing in a planned part-time trade – but that’s nothing for this aquatic achiever who has defied all odds to lap the competition.