PARAMLYPIC champion Aaron Moores has revealed he nearly gave up on the sport before the Rio Games as he couldn’t afford to pursue a career in the pool.

The 22-year-old, from Trowbridge, claimed gold in the SB14 breaststroke earlier this year and has since been rewarded by being put on British Para-Swimming’s top level of funding, the Podium programme.

Moores, who had been without any help financially for a year, admits the boost cannot come soon enough as he looks towards next year’s World Championships in Budapest.

“I can’t wait to get back on it. I’ve had a lot of support from my coach (Stuart McNarry in Swansea), who’s given me a couple of quid here and there,” said the former Trowbridge ASC man, who also took up a part-time job to help support himself.

“Everyone has been really supportive, my nan (Maria Hanko) has been sorting me out because there was one point where I was on the edge of quitting because I couldn’t afford it, but she didn’t want me to quit.

“If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be swimming now. That’s why it means so much for me to have this funding, it means my career.”

The Trowbridge swimmer, who also won silver in the SB14 100m backstroke at London 2012, says with the funding issue resolved, he can now fully focus on what he is doing in the pool.

His Podium programme status, alongside 17 other swimmers being aimed towards medals at the Tokyo 2020 Games, will see him receive access to world-class sports science and medicine services, advanced training camps and competitions and support from British Swimming’s performance staff and National Institute of Sport programmes across the country.

“It’s a massive help to get on the funding, it goes towards all the training camps, travel, hotels, food and supplements,” he added.

“I wouldn’t be able to get all of it without it, so that helps. I haven’t been on funding for about a year, I’ve been on it before but it helps me so much.

“Competing is so expensive, sometimes the cost gets a bit too much, it’s crazy how much you spend out “But now it is all about swimming with no worries, I can focus on what I am doing in the pool stress-free.

“One time I was working at the same time, but I had to stop because my training was bad. It was hard times for me, but not now.”