The 20-year-old from Lilydale received 41 per cent of the vote on the IPC's Facebook poll to narrowly hold off Portugal's boccia star Abilito Valente who claimed 36 per cent of the vote.

Canada's Para-canoe athlete Christine Selinger, Korea's boccia player Jeon Ho Wan and Great Britain's sonar sailing team were also up for the award but failed to get close to Cole in the final poll standings.

Cole - who had her right leg amputated at the age of five-years-old due to cancer - dominated the action in the S9 disability category in Edmonton as she took victories in the 50 metres freestyle, 100m freestyle, 400m freestyle, 100m butterfly, 100m backstroke and 200m medley races.

"I was actually surprised just to have won the first event in Edmonton and then I won the second and then the third so I just tried to keep this ball rolling," said Cole.

"I'm pretty pleased with that – and particularly pleased with my performance in the 100m butterfly.

"I've really been struggling with that over the last year and finally I swam it properly for the first time in a while, so I was pretty stoked with the result there."

Cole will compete in Australia's National Championships in March before heading to the Paralympic Games in London next summer four years after winning a silver and two bronze at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games.

"I didn't go over there to win any medals or anything, I just went to check it out," Cole said of Beijing 2008.

"Last time I was only 16 and it was my first major, major competition.

"I've been to a few major World Championships now so this time I'll definitely be going in with a bit more experience and a bit more maturity."


Cole added that biggest rivals in London likely to be South African sensation Natalie du Toit (pictured above with Cole), Britain's Stephanie Millward and Spain's Sarai Gascon but admitted she is not quite sure what to expect from the trio as she trains at home in Australia.

"It's a bit difficult because we're kind of on this island in the middle of nowhere so it takes us two to three days to get to a destination for competitions," Cole said.

"I'd be lucky to see my competitors twice a year."

Nonetheless, Cole can hardly wait until next summer, and added that her friends and family have already registered for tickets for London 2012 after they went on sale last week.

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