Striving to be the best she can be – Caitlyn’s story

Caitlyn has faced many obstacles in her life. At 18 months, she was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. She also has scoliosis and hemiplegia, which affects the right side of her body. As a 2-year-old she wore a brace on her right leg to assist with walking. Since then, she has undergone many procedures to improve her muscle strength and dexterity, and she may need spinal surgery once she stops growing, too.

Despite these setbacks Caitlyn strives to be the best she can be. She received a Variety Heart Scholarship and now aspires to compete for Australia in swimming. She currently holds nine Queensland records and is an eight-time Queensland Champion.

Caitlyn has had a fantastic year and is hard in training as she prepares for the Queensland State Championships.

“We heard about the Variety Heart Scholarship through a friend of ours,” Caitlyn’s Dad Craig shares. “They made us aware of what a fantastic opportunity it was – and that’s what it’s played out to be.

“The level of support and the effort that you guys go to is not lost on us and it makes a huge difference to our kids and all the kids that are on this journey.”

Caitlyn and her family appreciate the ongoing support from Variety and her sponsors, which has been essential in allowing her to compete at this level. As she continues her training, we hope you’ll join us in cheering her on!

We invite you to watch this video featuring Caitlyn and her proud Dad.