In 2012, she became British S12 champion in the 100m backstroke and qualified for the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games where she won a silver in the 400m freestyle and a bronze in the 100m butterfly.

In 2010, she was scouted through the 'Playground to Podium' initiative, a British system of spotting sporting talent in young people with a disability.

[3] Later that month, at the Nationwide Junior and Youth Swimming Championships in Sheffield, she broke two S12 world records, in the 400 m freestyle and the 100 m backstroke.

[4] Although stating that her sights were set on qualifying for the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio, Russell's results were good enough to make the Great Britain swimming team for the 2012 Games in London.

[7] In 2013 Russell entered her first IPC Swimming World Championships when she travelled to Montreal as part of the Great Britain team.

[13] During this time she completed a degree in sports science from the University of Salford and was inspired to return to swimming by watching the 2019 Para-swimming World Championships.