Beijing-bound Emma Cattle is delighted to be taking part in this summer's Paralympics as part of the Great Britain Disability Swimming team.

The 20-year-old Luton Swimming Club member has recovered magnificently from a torn shoulder muscle to qualify for the event.

Having started the year in fine form after a warm weather training camp in Australia in January,, the shoulder injury threw her Paralympic qualifying preparations into turmoil.

But despite missing six weeks of vital training, the former Barnfield College student turned in a lifetime best in her favoured 100m backstroke event at the Paralympic World Cup to seal selection.

She said: "I couldn't have asked for any more, swimming a personal best sets me up for 18 weeks of hard training and preparation as I bid to maintain my top six world ranking."

Emma, who first joined Luton Swimming Club at the age of eight, believes her formative years in Luton have been vital to her development, and paid tribute to the role of chief coach Neil Longridge in her success.

She made her international competition debut in the 2006 World Championships in South Africa, and is flying out with the rest of the Paralympic swim team at the end of this month for the German Open before joining an orientation camp for athletes heading to China.

Next is a concerted period of training at the high performance centre in Manchester followed by a final two week camp in Macau.

Emma, left, said: "I've been lucky enough to go to Macau with the GB team a couple of times over the past 18 months so I'm hoping that experience will help me adjust quickly."

Despite being British and European record holder in various butterfly events, it is likely Cattle will compete in the 100m backstroke, 200m individual medley and 50m freestyle events in Beijing due to her injury problems.