Visually impaired swimmer Liam Bekric is youngest medallist at Australian Short Course Championships

LIAM Bekric struggles to cross roads, play most sports or even walk down corridors without bumping into people, but he is a national swimming medallist.

LIAM Bekric struggles to cross roads, play most sports or even walk down corridors without bumping into people.

But the Norwood Swimming Club member is at home in the pool.

Liam, 13, has retinitis pigmentosa, a hereditary, degenerative eye condition that results in tunnel vision and can lead to blindness.

This month Liam won his first national open-age medal – a bronze in the 50m multi-class breaststroke at Adelaide’s Australian Short Course Championships.

As the youngest competitor there, the legally-blind swimmer raced against competitors in their 20s.

“I can’t see around on the sides, can’t read in the distance and I can only see a little cylinder,” Liam says.

“It’s really hard when you don’t know where the wall is at the other end or not being able to see other swimmers coming from the sides.

“But you catch up on little tactics like counting your strokes so you know where the wall is, pretty much, with your eyes closed.

“At the short course, I just wanted to swim hard.

“I didn’t think I’d get a medal. To win something was amazing.”

Liam was born with the eye condition, though it was not detected until he was six.

Unable to play ball sports because of his limited vision, he turned to swimming when he was nine.

Liam’s great-uncle and his father, Dragan, have the same condition. Dragan uses an identification cane.

“My vision is slowly decreasing over time,” Liam says.

“Swimming was probably the easiest sport with no contact.”

Liam also won two gold medals at the Australian age titles in April.