ELLIE Challis was in record-breaking form at the Para International Championships, in Glasgow.

Most of the top para swimmers in the world were competing, with swimmers with a wide range of impairments going head-to-head in multi-classification races.

However, Little Clacton's Challis rose to the big occasion and exceeded all expectations, smashing one world, one European and three British records.

The Colchester Phoenix Swimming Club member is a quad amputee who contracted meningitis as a toddler and was only internationally classified on the Monday before competing in Scotland.

She is now an SM3 for individual medley, SB2 for breaststroke and S3 for all other events.

Challis' first event was the 150 metres individual medley, where she gave the Glasgow crowd something to shout about by smashing the long-standing British SM3 record.

This gave her sufficient points to take the silver medal behind Leanne Smith, from the USA.

Day two got off to a flying start, with Challis breaking the European and British S3 50m butterfly record in the heats.

Making a massive effort in the final, she was able to lower that time to take the silver medal, with Ellie Robinson taking first spot.

On the same day, in a new event for Challis, the 200m freestyle, she swam a well-paced race to snatch yet another British record.

Day three saw Challis' best event, the 50m breaststroke.

She was up against the much older American rival Leanne Smith again.

However, the 15-year-old was on top form.

Chasing hard all the way down the pool with another record hopeful, Challis was not to be disappointed, taking the world series gold medal in a world record time of 1.05.43.

The final day featured the 50m backstroke and, finishing an amazing week in style, Challis took her fifth British record and her third world series silver medal.

Challis has been recognised for her outstanding set of performances at Glasgow by being selected to be part of the British team who will race at the World Para Championships, to be held in the iconic Olympic pool in London, in September.

Colchester Phoenix head coach Julie Jago said: “Myself and our coaching team are so incredibly proud of Ellie.

"We are a small disability club with very little pool time compared to the big clubs but we have beaten the odds to produce not one but three world champions in recent months.

"We also have Helen Thompson and Mark Holmes, who both have Down Syndrome and hold world records in their respective age groups.

"It is a privilege to work with all of our swimmers and to have Ellie selected to swim on the British team is an absolute honour.

"We take swimmers from the age of five upwards and cater for all disabilities and abilities from complete non-swimmers through to world champions.

"We are always looking for volunteers both in and out of the pool to support our swimmers and our small hardworking committee would welcome help with the day to day administration to help ensure our friendly club continues to thrive.”

Contact phoenix-lessons-squad@hotmail.com