STEPHANIE Millward says that she’s still no closer to discovering if she’ll be able to continue her medal-laden career.

The 35-year-old, who has won nine Paralympic Games medals, including S8 100m backstroke and 34-point 4x100m medley relay gold at Rio 2016, had her future cast into doubt in November last year when she was left out of British Para Swimming’s ‘Podium programme’ for 2017 – a reduced list of 14 athletes who receive the highest level of funding from UK Sport.

Like a number of other high-profile swimmers, Millward, who was on the programme in the lead-up to Brazil, launched an appeal with British Swimming against her omission but that process is still rumbling on, leaving the Wiltshire star in a disheartening state of limbo.

Millward, who began her career with hopes of competing at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 17 and has been forced to look for a job to pay the bills.

She was recognised with an MBE in the New Year’s honours list but Millward’s chances of adding another chapter to a glittering pool career and working towards the Tokyo 2020 games remain up in the air.

“I’m still waiting and it’s a bit ridiculous, really. It feels like it’s going to go on until I go bankrupt,” said Millward.

“I had my first appeal (with British Swimming) and then won a second one, and now we’re on to a third one.

“At the moment, it comes down to my barrister against theirs but I’ve just not heard anything in a long time, so I have no idea when I’ll find out what’s going to happen – it’s not encouraging.

“I’ve started looking for jobs because I can’t have zero income. Can you swim at Tokyo and work full-time? I don’t know.

“I’ve just done some speaking for a DVD for the MS Society, which is exciting, and I’m also trying to organise a ball in August but I just don’t know what’s going to happen.

“I’ve also started doing my ASA level one qualification to become a teacher, so that’s something to look forward to.”