Canada finished in tenth place in the swimming medal table in Beijing as they claimed a total of 23 three medals, seven of which were gold.

But McCord, who has been in the role since 2003, has overseen a major development programme to get more individuals involved in Paralympic swimming and he believes that it could see a record number of Canadian disability swimmers compete at London 2012.

"Out of the 40 athletes that we could potentially take to London, I think about 85 per cent of them will have come through our development programme since we started it in 2005," said McCord.

Canada's Paralympic swimmers have already met 35 Paralympic standards, a necessary part of the multi-stage process to qualify as many as 40 athletes for London 2012.

If they do qualify 40 swimmers, around 30 of them are expected to be first-time Paralympians and McCord is hopeful that their success will help change attitudes in Canada about Paralympic sport.

"The more we're able to tear down those pre-conceived notions and make Canada aware of what Paralympic sport is, the better," McCord said.

"For any parent with a child with a disability, there's an arena for the child to participate on an equal footing with people with similar disabilities.

"I was on the verge of burnout before I got the opportunity to get into this role in Paralympic swimming because I had been in the same spot for 18 years as an able-bodied age-group coach.

"When I got this opportunity, it saved me from going over the edge.

"How has this changed me as a person?

"It's made me understand that our problems aren't that significant, really.

"These kids carry their baggage with them on a daily basis.

"I'm still blown away when I come to these meets and watch astounding feats by amazing athletes and really amazing people.

"It's humbling."

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