A rising talent in the sport, Para swimmer Josh Willmer hopes to maintain his progress after establishing a proud international record in recent years.
A left-arm amputee below the elbow, Josh grew up in Kawakawa Bay in South Auckland and first engaged with swimming lessons from the age of three.
Encouraged to play as many sports as possible in his youth, Josh played touch rugby, tennis and squash but opted to specialise in swimming because that what he was “best at.”
A member of the Pukekohe Swim Club, he impressed on the national swimming scene for a number of years, before taking the next step in his career development after linking up with current coach Sheldon Kemp.
Training between seven and eight swim sessions per week and with a greater focus on speedwork under Sheldon’s guidance he quickly started to advance.
“At this stage of my career focusing on speed has made a difference,” explains Josh.
A training partner of Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games Women’s 100m Backstroke S8 gold medallist Tupou Neiufi has also played a big part in the development of the former Howick College student.
“I really like training with Tupou,” he adds. “She is like a sister to me and acts as a motivation.”
Making his international debut in 2022 he finished sixth in the 100m Breaststroke SB8 at the World Para Swimming Championships in Madeira, Portugal that year. Before one month later emerging as an overnight star by winning gold in his specialist event at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“I thought a silver or bronze medal was within my grasp but to win gold was wicked,” he reflects.
On the back of his stunning success in Birmingham, he was a finalist for the Sky Sport Emerging Talent Award at the 2022 Halberg Awards
At the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships in Manchester – he matched his performance from the previous edition by finishing sixth in his signature Men’s 100m Breaststroke SB8 event, setting a New Zealand record mark.
Selected for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games he smashed his national record by 0.67 in the heats of the Men’s 100m Breaststroke SB8 recording 1:12.73 but missed a final spot by one place.
Josh, who is based in the Auckland suburb of Ardmore, works 25 hours a week for a car mechanics shop in Papakura. In his spare time, he is a keen golfer.
