Started swimming by attending swimming lessons at the local leisure centre when I was younger. Was never very good at swimming and was usually the naughty kid who just messed around instead of listening to the teacher. I never actually completed my 5 metre badge, kept failing at around 4 metres, did this several times until the teacher decided to award the badge anyway (I think she must have felt sorry for me!). As well as never earning my 5m badge, I have also needed rescuing by a lifeguard. When I was younger and on holiday I insisted to my parents that I did not need armbands and ran and jumped in the pool, where I promptly sank to the bottom, and then needed rescuing by the lifeguard. So my swimming ‘career’ did not get off to the best start! However that was the beginning of something, and I progressed through all the lessons, completing every badge and award I could, until the lessons fed into the local club, Southwold Swimming Club. This was my home club and I was a member up until 2004 when I moved to train at Bath.
Moved to train at Bath when I achieved my first National qualifying time after swimming a huge personal best at the Gloucester County championships. I did not even know what Nationals were, and it was only when my coach at the time, contacted TeamBath and asked if they would take me for trial that I understood there was a world of swimming past the regional level. This is when I met my former coach Mark Skimming, who decided to take a chance on me and accept me into his squad. When I started at TeamBath I was training 10 hours a week, since then I have slowly built my training up each year, so that currently I average 18-20 hours a week in the pool and 3-4 hours a week in the gym.
I chose to attend the University of Bath after I had finished my A levels in 2005, so that I could continue my training alongside my studies. During my time as part of the university I achieved a 1st class BSc honours degree in Sports Performance and also completed an MSc in Management, where I narrowly missed attaining a distinction, before finally leaving the University in 2009. I continue to reside locally and train at Bath so I can pursue my swimming further.
I earned my first international selection to represent Great Britain at the senior level in 2007 at the European Short Course Championships. My performance there was marred by nerves, as it was my first international competition. I narrowly missed the qualifying time for the Beijing Olympics the following year, in 2008, for the 200m Breaststroke, falling 0.03 shy of the standard. I was selected again to swim for Great Britain at the 2008 European Short Course Championships, and my performance was much better than it had been the year before.
In 2009 I earned selection for my first major international competition, the 2009 FINA World Championships. I qualified by breaking the senior English Record in the 200m Breaststroke at the British Championships which acted as the selection trials. The record had stood for 17 years to double Olympic medallist in the 200 Breaststroke, Nick Gillingham. In 2010 I earned selection for the European LC Championships and the Commonwealth Games. Despite qualifying for two international competitions, the year ultimately proved to be a massive disappointment, and is definitely one of the toughest years of career so far. I was ranked 3rd going in to the Commonwealth Games for the 200 Breaststroke, and was in the best shape of my life. I hoped to contend for my first international medal at this competition, and truly believed I was ready for this breakthrough. However things did not work out due to severe illness, you can read my full account of the CWG here.
After the very disappointing 2010, I chose to move clubs and coaches for the first time since 2004. This was a very exciting change, and I embraced this as a positive event. I moved to work with former WR holder and international medallist Zoë Baker. I worked with Zoë for the 2010-2011 season. Whilst 2011 is the first year since my initial selection in 2007 that I have not been selected to represent GB, it has been a success in so many other ways. I have grown so much as a swimmer and a person over the last year, and have really learned so much about myself. Working with Zoë has reinvigorated and inspired me to continue pursuing my dream of success on an international stage. I have now moved to work with Bud McAllister at the Swansea ITC (Intensive Training Centre) which is supported by British Swimming and British Gas.
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