BOX swimmer Stephanie Millward is preparing to immerse herself in all things Paralympics as she is set to move away from home to give herself the best chance of getting that elusive gold medal at Rio next year.

The five-time Paralympic medallist is hoping that shifting her operations from Wiltshire to the National Performance Centre in Manchester will make her an ‘unbeatable’ force in the pool.

The 34-year-old is one of 22 swimmers to be chosen for the British Para-swimming Podium Programme, with a further 22 picked for the Podium Potential Programme, as the sport enters the final stretch for Rio.

With Millward still needing to qualify for the Games at a selection event in six months she has used the funding from that selection to make the move.

“I’m going on a long-term training camp in Manchester,” she said.

“Manchester is the Paralympic headquarters and they have got all of the equipment that I think will make me into an unbeatable swimmer.

“They have got cameras which will record how I swim and we can look at my stroke technique and how my dive is and all the different things that could help me go faster.

“It is very sad because I am leaving my husband Adrian here working, but on the flip side I am going to be away for a year where all I will be thinking about is the Paralympics and getting myself prepared to be at my peak in Rio.”

Millward, who missed the World Championships this summer after an illness, has been selected as someone who British Para-swimming believe will be in contention for a medal next year.

However, rather than seeing that as increased pressure, Millward views it as the drive she needs to secure a Paralympic gold medal that has eluded her to date.

“I am very happy and it is motivation for all the training I now need to put in for Rio,” she added.

“I couldn’t do it without the funding.

“This funding has dropped for the majority of people as well so it just makes it that little bit more difficult because everybody is chasing the same dream.

“It is definite motivation rather than pressure. The fact that I have been chosen as one of 22 people in the entire country is pretty impressive.

“With someone saying they think you are going to get a medal in Rio - and we will back you to do that - is massive push in the right direction.”