Swimmers at Aquae Sulis Performance Swimming Club were thrilled to welcome Olympic medallist and swimming legend Sharron Davies MBE to one of their recent training sessions.
Sharron has recently agreed to take on the role of patron to the club as part of her belief in the benefits of sport for the young. She said, “We have realised after London 2012 that nurturing talent is essential and our kids now can aspire to be the best they can be….and take on the world, clubs like this do exactly that and help so many on their journey. Swimming is a life skill as well as a fantastic sport and it has been a wonderful plus in my life.”
Since its formation, the Aquae Sulis Performance Swimming Club, which provides high quality training opportunities for swimmers within Bath and the surrounding areas, has benefitted from considerable support from Bath & North East Somerset Council.
Councillor David Dixon (Lib-Dem, Oldfield), Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “It’s a terrific accolade for the Aquae Sulis Performance Swimming Club to welcome Sharron Davies MBE as their patron and it’s a testimony to the dedication and commitment of the young swimmers and their support team who’ve helped them to achieve success in many major championships.
“Bath & North East Somerset Council is determined to ensure that everyone has the chance to take part in sports and enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Therefore we encourage talented swimmers to join their local swimming club and fulfil their potential.”
The Aquae Sulis Performance Swimming Club draws its membership from 12 local home clubs in Bath, Somerset and West Wiltshire providing a structured pathway for local swimmers of all levels to realise their maximum potential. Based at the University of Bath, the club has grown from an initial group of 30 swimmers to a membership base that is now over 100 strong.
The swimmers are served by three squad programmes (Elite, Potential and Transition) and their training is structured and overseen by a vastly experienced Head Coach who has over 30 years’ experience of Coaching at the highest levels in English Swimming.
Craig Smith, Communications Officer, from the Aquae Sulis Performance Swimming Club, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Sharron Davies MBE as our patron – with her legendary background she’s such a terrific inspiration for our own swimming stars.
“We’re also grateful to the Council for its support and would like to appeal to other organisations or companies that may be interested in sponsoring the club in the future to help with our running costs and also benefit from the club’s rising status.”
Over the last 12 months ASPSC has successfully taken part in competitions around the Country ranging from Open meets to National trials – with good prospects of qualifying for this year’s British Gas Swimming Championships in June.
In November 2012, Stephanie Millward, the multi-medal winning Paralympic swimmer, elected to join the Aquae Sulis Performance Swimming Club. Stephanie decided that the programme being delivered by the club fully matches her training needs and provides the ideal platform for her bid to seek gold medal success at the Rio Paralympics in 2016 and beyond.
The club also has a strong working relationship with British Swimming’s Intensive Training Centre (ITC) based at the University. Siobhan-Marie O’Connor, an Olympian at London 2012, a national record holder and current ITC member is a swimmer that graduated from the Aquae Sulis Performance Swimming Club programme.
The club is actively seeking external funding partners and would welcome approaches from potential sponsors who could benefit from an association with a successful sporting programme; with opportunities for market exposure at local, national and international level. The club can be contacted via [email protected].
