Oakville’s Taylor Doyle smashes her personal best to win her first silver medal at Paralympics

TAYLOR Doyle has ­provided Oakville with its first medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, capturing silver in the women’s long jump T38 on Monday, smashing her personal best in the process.

Australia’s silver medallist Taylor Doyle. Picture: Getty

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TAYLOR Doyle has ­provided Oakville with its first medal at the 2016 Rio Paralympics, capturing silver in the women’s long jump T38 on Monday, smashing her personal best in the process.

The 23-year-old, who was born with tuberous sclerosis, produced a leap of 4.62 metres to finish second behind Chinese Junfei Chen (4.77m), with Poland’s Anna Trenr-Wierciak (4.53m) taking bronze.

Doyle’s medal-winning performance was watched by her delighted parents Terry and Shireen in the stands. Fellow Australian Erin Cleaver finished fifth in the same event.

Taylor Doyle celebrates her silver medal. Australian Paralympian Committee

“It feels really good and I am very happy,” the delighted Oakville local said.

“It was also my personal best as I previously leapt 4.58 metres.

“My coach (Greg Smith) told me to have a ring around me and close out the noise (in the stadium) and focus.

Taylor Doyle making her best ever leap to gain silver. Picture: Australian Paralympian Committee

“I like to thank my parents for all the encouragement and taking me to places and to my friends and everyone who encouraged me when I was down.

“I now plan to relax and see the sights (in Rio) including the statute of Christ the Redeemer.”

Taylor Doyle, left, won silver in the T38 long jump, ahead of Erin Cleaver who placed fifth.

Doyle, who previously attended Kellyville High School, first began competing in Little Athletics when she was nine and has since competed at national and international events.

A member of Girraween Athletics Club, Doyle ha lived with frequent epileptic seizures until she had brain surgery in 2014.

The surgery was successful in stopping her seizures, but it was a bit setback for the young athlete who has been chasing her dream to be a Paralympian since she was 11 years old.

“She couldn’t talk for a couple of weeks and couldn’t walk for three months, but she did a lot with her physio and worked hard,” father Terry Doyle said.