Swimmer becomes national champion at finals

Swimmer becomes national champion at finals

28th October 2014

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AN ATHLETE has caused ripples of excitement across the region after striking gold at a national swimming championship.

Laura McCluskey, of Norton, Stockton, smashed her own personal record by three seconds to claim first place in the 200m freestyle at the Scottish Gas National Age Group Championships, Aberdeen, in a time of 2.14 seconds.

The 12-year-old swimmer, who attends St Michael’s Catholic Academy, Billingham, also picked up a bronze medal in the 400m freestyle after taking on elite swimmers in the competition, which attracted over 900 competitors aged from ten to 18 from across the UK.

“I didn’t realise that I’d won when the race was over,” said Laura, who swims for the Borough of Stockton Swim Scheme (BOSSS). “I just kept looking at the results board to see where I’d come.

“I couldn’t believe it when it came up that I’d won. I felt so happy and my mum was crying – it was so exciting.”

Laura’s success has seen her secure a place on the England swimming programme which supports and enhances the development of high quality young athletes for the future and identifies individuals with the potential to achieve podium success.

“Being chosen for the England programme is incredible,” said Laura. “I didn’t know much about it at first but when my PE teacher explained it to me I realised what a massive achievement it was.”

Laura, who has been swimming from the age of four, currently trains seven days a week waking at 5.30am each morning to swim for an hour before getting ready for school.

Being part of the England programme will include additional training camps in Sheffield, monitoring of nutritional needs and learning the sports science behind becoming a professional athlete.

St Michael’s Catholic Academy PE teacher Rebecca Leighton, whose brother Chris, 26, also a former pupil at St Michael’s, coaches Laura through BOSSS, added: “It’s fantastic that at such a young age Laura puts so much dedication into her training enabling her to pull off such incredible performances.

“All her friends at school, her teachers and her swimming coaches are so proud of her and are looking forward to seeing her push on to more major finals and hopefully a place in the junior GB swimming team.”

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