Gareth Andrew Duke (born 18 June 1986) is a former

Paralympic The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaired ...

swimmer Swimming is an individual or team racing sport that requires the use of one's entire body to move through water. The sport takes place in pools or open water (e.g., in a sea or lake). Competitive swimming is one of the most popular Olympic ...

from

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

competing in S6 classification events. Duke attended two

Summer Paralympic Games The Summer Paralympics also known as the Games of the Paralympiad, are an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral ...

winning gold in the

2004 Summer Paralympics ) , nations = 136 , athletes = 3,806 , events = 519 in 19 sports , opening = 17 September , closing = 28 September , opened_by = President Costis Stephanopoulos , cauldron = Georgios Toptsis , stadium = Olymp ...

in Athens. Duke has represented Britain at two

IPC Swimming World Championships The World Para Swimming Championships, known before 30 November 2016 as the IPC Swimming World Championships, are the world championships for swimming where athletes with a disability compete. They are organised by the International Paralympic C ...

and has also held world records in several events. He is the cousin of para-athlete

Kyron Duke Kyron Duke (born 12 October 1992) is a powerlifter and Paralympian track and field athlete from Wales, UK competing in category F41 throwing events. Duke has represented Wales in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in powerlifting. In 2012 he qualifie ...

Personal history

Duke was born in

Cwmbran Cwmbran ( ; cy, Cwmbrân , also in use as an alternative spelling in English) is a town in the county borough of Torfaen in South Wales. Lying within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire, Cwmbran was designated as a New Town in 1949 to pr ...

in Wales in 1986. As well as having

achondroplasia Achondroplasia is a genetic disorder with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance whose primary feature is dwarfism. In those with the condition, the arms and legs are short, while the torso is typically of normal length. Those affected ha ...

, Duke was born with

Alport's syndrome Alport syndrome is a genetic disorder affecting around 1 in 5,000-10,000 children, characterized by glomerulonephritis, end-stage kidney disease, and hearing loss. Alport syndrome can also affect the eyes, though the changes do not usually affect v ...

, a kidney disease, and suffers from reducing hearing and asthma. After suffering kidney failure he received a donor kidney in 2006 from his father, but when this failed Duke was forced to go on

dialysis Dialysis may refer to: *Dialysis (chemistry), a process of separating molecules in solution **Electrodialysis, used to transport salt ions from one solution to another through an ion-exchange membrane under the influence of an applied electric pote ...

. He underwent another kidney transplant in 2010, receiving a kidney from his uncle, however the organ failed after about 16 months in July 2011, resulting in Duke retiring from swimming.

Career history

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Duke, Gareth Paralympic swimmers for Great Britain Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Paralympic gold medalists for Great Britain Paralympic silver medalists for Great Britain Paralympic bronze medalists for Great Britain Welsh male swimmers Living people 1986 births Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the 2008 Summer Paralympics Medalists at the World Para Swimming Championships Paralympic medalists in swimming British male breaststroke swimmers British male freestyle swimmers S6-classified para swimmers 21st-century British people