Diagnosed with a form of brain cancer at the age of three, Victoria Robinson underwent a life-saving surgery. or signup to continue reading Her pilocyctic astrocytoma relapsed at four years old and she completed 15 months of weekly chemotherapy. When she was in Year 7 she relapsed again, followed by a year of treatment.
Just two years ago, she had a brain surgery to remove a cyst. Victoria is now 16 years old and has relapsed for a sixth time. She is in treatment.
Despite her tumultuous health hurdles, she has found refuge by getting into the pool and dreams of competing at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics. During her first brain surgery she had a stroke, leaving the left side of her body partially paralysed. "I spent a lot of my childhood at physio appointments and that included hydrotherapy, where I got introduced to swimming," the teen from Lake Macquarie, NSW, said.
She fell in love with the water as a place where she wasn't restricted and bound by her health and abilities. "I didn't have to wear my leg brace. It could just be me in the water and nothing else matters.
I also didn't have to hear anyone when I'm underwater," she said. She persisted with swimming from the age of eight and got into the competitive scene in high school. "Swimming has helped my body to stay fit which has helped with recovery from surgeries.
Without swimming I'd probably be in a wheelchair. It honestly saved my life," she said. Victoria is now a national athlete with NUSwim based at the Universi.