Age: 22

Hometown: Newtownards, Down 

Club: Ards Swimming Club 

Disability: Right above knee amputation 

Sport Class: S9, SB8, SM9

Barry made his debut for Team Ireland at the 2016 European Championships when he was just 14. He was just two seconds off qualifying for the Rio Paralympics in the 400m freestyle. In 2018, aged 16, he made the S9 finals in 100m freestyle and backstroke at the Commonwealth Games.

He also made two finals at the 2018 European Championships in Dublin, finishing fifth in 100m butterfly and 6th in 400m freestyle. At the 2019 World Championships he narrowly missed making the 100m butterfly and 400m freestyle finals.

In Tokyo Barry’s best finish was seventh place in the 100 metre backstroke S9. Barry broke one minute for the first time for 100m freestyle (59.81) at the Irish Trials in April 2021.

He won a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in the S9 100 m backstroke becoming the first Northern Irish medallist in swimming at the Commonwealth Games. He won his first European medal at the 2024 Para Swimming European Championships in Madeira.

Barry has a diploma in Sports & Exercise Science from Bangor South Eastern Regional College. He had his right leg amputated above the knee due to a rare birth defect called fibular hemimelia when he was just 10 months old.

Paris will be his second Paralympic Games.

Schedule

Day 6 – September 3rd

S9 100m Backstroke​ (heat) 09:30 – 12:30​

S9 100m Backstroke​ (final) 17:30 – 21:30​

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Day 9 – September 6th

S9 100m Fly (heat) 09:30 – 12:30​

S9 100m Fly (final) 17:30 – 21:30​

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