TEAM GB’s Down syndrome swimmers held a training camp and team building event at Tunbridge Wells Sports Centre before heading off to the World Championships.
Among their number is 22-year-old RTW Monson club’s Jemima Rudd-Jones, who won a medal at the European Championships in Paris last year.
The team is looking strong after their success in France, and they had just returned from the first ever Down syndrome open gala in Kosovo.
The swimmers gather as a team at least three times a year for additional training and to provide an opportunity for them, their parents and carers to meet and socialise.
The training camp was the last time the 40-strong team will gather before the World Championships in Nova Scotia, Canada in July.
The team also want to use their visit to the centre, which is managed by Fusion Lifestyle, to showcase the benefits of swimming and being part of a team to other young people with Down syndrome.
Neil Lacey, the Team GB manager, said: ‘Getting the team together at training camps is invaluable for us. It allows our swimmers and their escorts to meet outside of competition and I have no doubt these camps are contributing to the success we have been enjoying in recent times.’
Chloe Louch, General Manager of the Sports Centre, said: ‘We are very excited to have the Down syndrome Swimming Great Britain squad coming to our Tunbridge Wells Centre.
‘We are very proud of our fully accessible facilities and are sure the training camp will help inspire other young people in the local area to get involved in more sport.’
To find out more about Down Syndrome Swimming Great Britain follow them on Twitter @DSSGB1 and Facebook @DSSGBofficial
PICTURE: POOL OF TALENT: The British team are put through their paces
