2016 Rio Olympics: Tiffany Thomas Kane reveals how medal haul helps ease school bullying torment

BULLYING victim Tiffany Thomas Kane says winning a gold medal at her debut Paralympics takes away the pain of what she’s gone through.

Tiffany Thomas Kane enjoyed an excellent meet in Rio.

BULLYING victim Tiffany Thomas Kane says winning a gold medal at her debut Paralympics takes away the pain of what she’s gone through.

The 15-year-old swimmer bagged a gold medal and three bronzes in Rio, and ended her busy seven-event campaign on Sunday (EST).

The Sydney schoolgirl said representing her country and bringing home gold meant everything to her after a rough few years.

“It’s been very special considering some stuff’s happened to me lately,” she said.

Tiffany Thomas Kane will take four medals home from Rio.

“So I think this has just changed it all. It’s taken everything away. It’s just made me really happy.”

Born with hypochondroplasia, a developmental disorder causing short stature, Thomas Kane was at the centre of a bullying incident involving fellow students from Ravenswood School for Girls while on camp last year.

A group of girls allegedly stripped Thomas Kane naked and shoved her in a cupboard.

Two students were expelled and another two were suspended as punishment. The incident gained notoriety when a former school captain and sister of one of the expelled girls made reference to it during a controversial outgoing speech last year.

She slammed Ravenswood for being run like a business, pressuring students for perfection and betraying her family.

At the time of the scandal, Thomas Kane was training for the Glasgow 2015 world championships, at which she went on to win gold and break the world record in the women’s 100m breaststroke.

The teenager says she’s enjoyed every second of her first Paralympic Games, thanks to the camaraderie in the Australian team at Rio 2016.

“We all support each other,” she said.

Tiffany Thomas Kane broke a Paralympic record in winning the breaststroke.

“We call each other the mob and that’s what we are. We’re all together.”

Thomas Kane hopes she can be a role model for other children growing up with a disability.

“It’s just good to see that other people are inspiring me, and I’m inspiring them,” she said.

“There’s people out there who might want to do what I’m doing.”

Originally published as 2016 Rio Olympics: Tiffany Thomas Kane reveals how medal haul helps ease school bullying torment