A new swimming club has been set up in the west of the island.
Based in the Western Swimming Pool, five of Peel ATS’s (Advanced Training Squad) members went in ‘at the deep end’ making their debuts in the recent Isle of Man Swimming Championships at the NSC. Three of the team of Josiah Hogg, Rhiann Massey, Olivia Wrigley, Jacob Leece and Freya Melvin qualified for the finals of their given events. Hogg placed fourth in the 50m breaststroke for 12-13 year olds, while Melvin was sixth in the under-11s 100m breaststroke final. Leece made finals in four events including his favoured butterfly and freestyle events.
The new club’s head coach, Heather Melvin, said: ‘Putting a competitive swimming structure in place for Peel has been a long time coming, but the performances at the championships prove that the west of the island has talent hiding in our swimming lessons programme.’
Manager of Western Pool, Kath Andrews, was equally thrilled to see the scheme take off so quickly: ‘With Heather at the helm of the programme and the assistance of national coach Lee Holland we now have the facility to take swimmers from armbands in our baby pool through to island level and beyond.
‘The support from the people of Peel has been excellent and this is something every member of my teaching staff is proud to be involved with.’
Peel ATS is having open trials for swimmers aged six to 15 that feel they may be interested in competitive swimming on Saturday, December 21 at 1pm and Saturday, January 11 at the same time.
Please contact Western Pool on 842525 for more information or to book a place on a trial session.