Wow what a great team spirit was shown by all our swimmers at the final event of the Junior League – the relays at GL1.  To add to the atmosphere all our swimmers were given hats and cheered each other on with great enthusiasm.

10 new swimmers got their first opportunity to swim for the Club, showing no nerves and we hope this has given them a flavour of competing and that they will be keen to participate again. They were:

• Kyriee
• Yona
• Tabs
• Bethany
• Grace W
• Alex J
• Alex H
• Gilad
• Jack
• William

Well done to ALL our swimmers, who swam at their very best and were a credit to the Club.  We hope you all enjoyed the evening and look forward to the next competition.

A great weekends swimming for Cinderford in a relaxed atmosphere at GL1 at the Gloucester City Open Meet.

All the swimmers stepped up to the blocks with confidence and this showed in the many, many PBs and new times achieved over the weekend.

6 Club Records were broken:

• Thomas Rawlings in the 200m freestyle took the record for the 13 year age group held since 2008 and also the 400m freestyle record held since 2010.
• Nia Westlake improved on her own 200m IM Club Record, also the 100m butterfly record held since 2016 and improved on her 200m butterfly record by over 3 seconds.
• Morgan Peck swimming in the Open age group in the 400m free took the record held since 2013

Gold Medals were won by: Chase Lane (100m Breast, 200m Breast, 100m Fly, 50m Breast), Flora Loveridge (50m Fly), Penelope Tudor (100m Fly), Nia Westlake (200m Fly, 400m IM), Libby Hughes (400m IM)

Silver Medals were won by: Daisy Stuart-Gunter (50m Back), Penelope Tudor (200m IM), Nia Westlake (200m IM, 100m Fly, 50 Breast, 200m Breast), Chase Lane (100m Free, 50m Fly), Thomas Rawlings (200m Free)

Bronze Medals were won by: Thomas Rawlings (100m Free, 50m Fly), Chris Hadfield (400m IM), Morgan Peck (100m Back), Daisy Stuart-Gunter (100m Breast, 100m Back), Grace Plant (200m Back), Aaryan Halai (50m Fly), Libby Hughes (100m Free, 50m Free)

Adding to the growing number of swimmers with County Qualifying Times for 2024 were youngsters:

• Lilly-Ann Rogers           100m free and            50m Back
• Flora Loveridge            50m Fly
• With Morgan Peck adding another 2 new events to his portfolio: 100m Free and 100m Back

Swimmers taking part in their first Open Meet were:

• Flora Loveridge
• Florence Gardener
• Betsie Matthews
• Kyriee Childs

And competing in strokes or distances never competed at before were:

• Ella Plant                       400m Free
• Lily Bevan                      200m IM       
• Penelope Tudor           200m IM and 100m Fly
• Chris Hadfield               400m IM
• Thomas Rawlings         400m Free
• Chase Lane                    400m Free
• Libby Hughes                200m Fly

Well done to everyone who took part, who coached or officiated on the weekend, to see the swimmers reap the rewards of their efforts in training was great to see.

Thank you to everyone who came to Beechenhurst for this years annual event, as always it was a memorable event for all involved. Thanks to the team on the BBQ and refreshments for all their efforts and thank you to Andy and the bike team for their endeavours despite the rain shower, we hope you all enjoyed yourselves.

Congratulations to Nia and Phoebe who competed at the Regionals in Plymouth, unfortunately Morgan has to withdraw due to injury.

Nia competed in 9 events – 50, 100 and 200 Breaststroke, 50, 100 and 200 Butterfly, 200 and 400 IM and 800 Freestyle. Nia achieved a finals place in the 200 Butterfly and long course PB’s in her 50m and 200m Breaststroke and her 800m Freestyle.

Phoebe swam in the 50m Freestyle, Backstroke and Butterfly. Well done to both of you.

We are arranging this years Championships for swimmers in all groups and of all ages and abilities to be held at Monmouth School Sports Centre with races on the evenings of Saturday 11th, Sunday 12th and Sunday 19th November – so please save these dates in your diary.

The presentation evening is to be on Saturday 25th November at Oaklands in Cinderford.

We held a social evening on Tuesday 18 April to thank all our volunteers who help at the Club. From the coaches poolside to the people selling raffle tickets and everyone in between, you are all important as the Club could not run without you. So thank you, thank you, thank you.