Hamish McLean is a 15-year-old teenager affected by achondroplasia, commonly known as dwarfism. 

He has a real talent for swimming. Because of that, he even gave up an operation to raise the length of his legs to avoid to be tied to a wheelchair for two years. He surprised everyone when qualified to represent New Zealand at the World Championships, a stepping stone to the Paralympic Games in Rio. ‘The crowd was yelling for me, I never heard that before – it felt really good’.

Filmed over 10 years, his story is a candid portrait of the pressures and joys of bringing up a disabled child. 

Born To be Different is on Together. On Freeview 93 | Sky 173 | Virgin 269 | Freesat 164.