Jordan Brown, 19, was on the 4x100 metre freestyle relay team that claimed gold in 4:32.64.

Also part of the team was Salamander Bay's Keiran Corry.

The pair - along with Dungog's Melissa Nelson, Maitland's Jarrod Lantry and Sydney's Alyse Saxby - were the only Special Olympics Hunter Valley Club members to represent the country.

Their coach, Ellena Morris, is the program co-ordinator for Special Olympics NSW and the head swimming coach at Valentine pool, where she taught Jordan for five years.

Morris said Jordan, who has an intellectual disability and has epilepsy, had improved immensely over the years.

"He's grown into a young man," she said.

"[Before he started swimming] he wasn't able to hold a conversation. Now, he speaks confidently.

"It goes to show that it's more than just a sport for these kids."

While in Los Angeles, Jordan also recorded two personal bests.

He shaved six seconds off his best time in the 100m breaststroke (1:27.02), and nine seconds in the 200m breaststroke (3:12.68) and won bronze in both events.

"Each time he swam, he improved. I couldn't ask for any more than that," Morris said.

Jordan was selected for the world games after he won gold in the 200m breaststroke event at the national games last October.

Athletes who won gold at nationals went into a ballot to go to the world games, and Jordan was picked.

He made a stellar national debut at the 2013 Special Olympics Asia Pacific Games with gold and silver in the 200m and 100m freestyle respectively.