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| Home » News » Young Swimmers Go For Glory In Sheffield
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| Young Swimmers Go For Glory In Sheffield |
Disability Sport Events (DSE) is holding the Nationwide National Junior Swimming Championship at Ponds Forge in Sheffield this weekend. Nationwide Building Society is sponsoring the event where young Paralympic hopefuls will compete.
These include all swimmers on the British Swimming development squad and two from the world class podium squad. Over 200 swimmers from all the Home Countries will compete in Sheffield this weekend. The two swimmers from the podium squad are thirteen year old Eleanor Simmonds (S6) from Boldmere, West Midlands, and Jonathan Fox (S7) aged sixteen from St. Austell, Cornwall.
Both swimmers had a fantastic season last year and will be off to a flying start this weekend in anticipation of the Beijing Paralympic trials in April. A star in the making- Eleanor Simmonds watched the Athens Paralympics in 2004 and was inspired. Four years later, she is a strong contender for a place at Beijing. She competed in the IPC World Championships in 2006 when just twelve years old. Since then she has moved to Wales to join their swimming squad and put in some gruelling hours of training.
She remarked about the great weekend ahead: “I'm looking forward to doing some different races to usual, especially the 100m Breaststroke as it is my weakest stroke and I have been working hard on it all winter.It will be my first competition of the year and will be a good test of how things are going for the trials in April, when I hope to get qualifying times in several events to be selected for Beijing” Jonathan Fox started swimming at a young age as part of his physiotherapy regime. Competitively he started swimming at the age of eleven and has gone from strength to strength over the last five years. In 2003, he was selected for the British Swimming Disability Start Programme.
Currently in the top ten for the S7 classification, he broke a memorable world record last year in the 50m backstroke. He said:“I love this event. I first tasted swimming competition at the juniors and it made me enthusiastic to continue in my sport. The events I will be hoping to achieve better times in are the 100m backstroke, the 400m Freestyle, where I broke the European record last year, and of course going close to the world record I broke last year in the 50m Backstroke.” Maxine Taylor, Nationwide’s Divisional Director for Corporate Affairs, said: “Nationwide Building Society is very proud to support DSE and all the athletes who compete at these events throughout the UK.
We hope our sponsorship will enable more disabled athletes to take part in these events and that they continue to break records, both personally and internationally.”Gordon Neale, Director of Events for DSE, said: “Through the support of Nationwide and our many volunteers, we are able to host a variety of events throughout the year for people with all abilities, whether they are just starting to learn a sport or going for gold at the Paralympics.
New athletes and swimmers are always welcome at our regional events as these are the perfect environment for new participants to learn and enjoy their chosen sport. All information is available via the DSE website for both participants and volunteers, who are always needed and welcomed at our events.
Without the dedication of volunteers our events just wouldn’t happen.” Other partners assisting the championships are British Swimming, Water Direct, Ponds Forge and the Sheffield City Council's Major Sports Events Unit. Further information about DSE and the winners from this event is available via www.disabilitysport.org.uk |
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