ASA celebrates Swimtastic Achievements

Young Swimmer of the Year
Conor Barker from Newport, Shropshire
Five year old Conor has been swimming since he was a baby and has received Young Swimmer of the Year for his achievements in swimming. An all rounder in the pool, he has achieved Kellogg’s ASA Awards from 5m to 1 mile and also Swimming Challenge 1 to bronze. He has now been selected to train at the Lilleshall National Sports Centre. Congratulations Conor.

Disability Swimmer of the Year
James Pout from St Helens, Liverpool
10-year old James Pout from St Helens has shown that having a disability doesn’t stop you competing at the highest level of your sport. James won one gold and four bronze medals in the under 14 age group at the DSE National Championships this year and was named St Helens Council’s Ambassador for Swimming.

Family Swim Award Winners
The Flanagan Family - Megan (7), Laura (9) and Graeme (14) from Skelmersdale, Lancashire
The Flanagan family like to spend quality time together in the pool and swimming is an activity they can all enjoy since 14-year-old Graeme suffers from Myopathy and Aspergers syndrome and 7-year-old Megan suffers from Autism. Between them, the three Flanagan children have achieved 36 awards through the Kellogg’s ASA Awards Scheme – an impressive achievement in anyone’s book.

Top Teacher Award
Yulia Parker
Former international swimmer Yulia has more than 16 years experience teaching children to swim and runs her own swim school with husband Graham. Yulia was nominated by the Becvar family who have been inspired by her enthusiastic and thorough approach to teaching and are working through the Kellogg’s ASA Awards.

Fundraiser of the Year
Otto Putland from Hereford
Young swimmer Otto Putland was spurred into fundraising when Laurie Engel, a boy he never met, died of cancer in his teens. Over the past year and a half Otto has worked tirelessly to raise funds for the Teenage Cancer Trust Laurie Engel Fund and has raised a staggering £26,000 to donate towards a new teenage cancer ward at the Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

Senior Swimmer of the Year
Sarah Borley
Sarah has been an active masters swimmer for 20 years and has gained World, British and Welsh titles during that time. When Sarah required major kidney surgery last summer it looked like she might have to retire from competitive swimming, but the 45-year-old came back as strong as ever to win bronze at the British Masters Championships and five championship titles at the World Police and Fire Games in Australia.

Community Project of the Year
Chipping Norton Lido
Chipping Norton Lido is one of the few remaining open-air pools in the country and when it was threatened with closure members of the local community campaigned to keep the facility open. A dedicated group of local residents now manage the pool, which has become a real social enterprise success story and is well –regarded for its work with young people.

Swim School Award
Cridders Swim School
Since opening three years ago, Cridders swim school has gone from strength to strength in no small part to owner Trevor Cridland, who has worked tirelessly to improve the centre and the standard of swimming in the local area. This desire for quality was recognised earlier this year when the school achieved Premier Aquamark status – the ASA’s quality seal of approval for lesson providers. Cridders Swim School also hosted its first Get Safe 4 Summer event this year and is working to raise awareness water safety in the area.

Facility Operator of the Year
DC Leisure
No stranger to the Swimtastic Awards, DC Leisure has been named facility operator of the year for the third year in a row. One of the country’s largest pool operator’s DC Leisure distributes more than 80,000 Kellogg’s ASA Awards every year and has been recognised this year for the important work it has undertaken to help the ASA develop its brand new National

Rlss Award Winner
John Eldridge

Nominations for next year’s awards will open in Spring 2008 and details will be posted on www.swimming.org