Haverhill Leisure Centre Helps Young Swimmer
Monday, 13th November 2006.
Tom Cole is a local swimmer who regularly uses Haverhill Leisure Centre. Tom has battled against all the odds to gain medals for Great Britain on the World stage. He is a member of the Downs Syndrome Great British Swim Team and began his swimming career with the West Suffolk Swim Scheme lessons programme at Haverhill Leisure Centre.
Tom, who lives near Sudbury, always liked the water but it was only when he came to Haverhill to learn to swim that he showed his determination.
Tom overcame many hurdles to achieve a number of Amateur Swimming Association certificates and was named West Suffolk Swim Scheme ‘Swimmer of the Term’ in April 2000, which lead to him being awarded the Amateur Swimming Association Special Achievement Award at their Gala Dinner held in Birmingham. At this very special event Tom met and swam with a number of Olympic swimmers including Adam Ruckwood, a Commonwealth Games Gold medallist.
This meeting inspired Tom, prompting him to say ‘I want to be like Adam’ and as Tom was very shy and didn’t like people watching him, his family were very surprised.
Tom’s first taste of competitive swimming came when he swam in the 2002 Suffolk Youth Games. Although he enjoyed the swimming, being at a big event like this was not easy for him but he showed real spirit to win his race. It was following the Youth Games that Lesley Cowie, Abbeycroft Leisure Sports Development Manager, advised Tom to join Colchester Phoenix Swimming Club, whose club motto is ‘ability not disability’. It was at Colchester Phoenix that Tom made many friends and began to enjoy the social aspect of swimming as well as continuing to improve.
Since 2003 Tom has had many successes in the pool. In 2004 he was selected for his first Great British swim team international event at the Downs Syndrome World Championships held in Durban, South Africa. Tom was only 15 years old at the time and was the youngest male competitor there and only narrowly missed out on a 50m breaststroke gold medal. He was however, a member of the team that won a gold medal for the 4 x 50m medley relay in a world record time and bronze in the 4 x 50m freestyle relay. At the 2005 National Championships he won Bronze medals in the 200m Individual Medley and the S14 category relay.
Tom continued to improve, both swimming faster times and winning more medals, but he was at a disadvantage in his races as he did not like starting with a dive. Once again the West Suffolk Swim Scheme offered the solution as Tom started one to one lessons with Pat Jason, an ASA Club Coach. Pat’s patience and experience soon worked and in December 2005 Tom received his ASA Competitive Start award.
Returning to Haverhill Leisure Centre also gave Tom an opportunity to join the West Suffolk Swim Club. Currently he trains three mornings a week 6.00am to 7.30am with the Club and continues to have two 1:1 lessons with Pat Jason in the West Suffolk Swim Scheme.
Training at Haverhill Leisure Centre has not only helped Tom with his swimming but he has got to know the staff and other swimmers, giving him a lot more confidence.
This year he qualified for the National Long Course Event held at Ponds Forge Pool, Sheffield for the first time and at the Downs Worlds Championships in Limerick, Ireland he won 2 Gold’s 2 Silver’s and 1 Bronze. At this event 19 Countries attended the week long Competition including Australia, America, South Africa and Mexico and was structured like the Olympics, realising Tom’s wish to be like Adam Rockwood, the Olympic swimmer and Commonwealth 200m Backstroke Gold Medallist.
When Adam heard this news he sent Tom a signed GB Team Sydney 2000 Olympics T-shirt and said:
“Tom and all those involved with his swimming should be very proud indeed. Such achievements are testimony to the hours of hard work that Tom has dedicated to his sport. He is truly a remarkable individual."
For more information please contact Lesley Cowie, Sports Development Manager on 07960163551 or by e-mail:lesley.cowie@acleisure.com.
Tom, who lives near Sudbury, always liked the water but it was only when he came to Haverhill to learn to swim that he showed his determination.
Tom overcame many hurdles to achieve a number of Amateur Swimming Association certificates and was named West Suffolk Swim Scheme ‘Swimmer of the Term’ in April 2000, which lead to him being awarded the Amateur Swimming Association Special Achievement Award at their Gala Dinner held in Birmingham. At this very special event Tom met and swam with a number of Olympic swimmers including Adam Ruckwood, a Commonwealth Games Gold medallist.
This meeting inspired Tom, prompting him to say ‘I want to be like Adam’ and as Tom was very shy and didn’t like people watching him, his family were very surprised.
Tom’s first taste of competitive swimming came when he swam in the 2002 Suffolk Youth Games. Although he enjoyed the swimming, being at a big event like this was not easy for him but he showed real spirit to win his race. It was following the Youth Games that Lesley Cowie, Abbeycroft Leisure Sports Development Manager, advised Tom to join Colchester Phoenix Swimming Club, whose club motto is ‘ability not disability’. It was at Colchester Phoenix that Tom made many friends and began to enjoy the social aspect of swimming as well as continuing to improve.
Since 2003 Tom has had many successes in the pool. In 2004 he was selected for his first Great British swim team international event at the Downs Syndrome World Championships held in Durban, South Africa. Tom was only 15 years old at the time and was the youngest male competitor there and only narrowly missed out on a 50m breaststroke gold medal. He was however, a member of the team that won a gold medal for the 4 x 50m medley relay in a world record time and bronze in the 4 x 50m freestyle relay. At the 2005 National Championships he won Bronze medals in the 200m Individual Medley and the S14 category relay.
Tom continued to improve, both swimming faster times and winning more medals, but he was at a disadvantage in his races as he did not like starting with a dive. Once again the West Suffolk Swim Scheme offered the solution as Tom started one to one lessons with Pat Jason, an ASA Club Coach. Pat’s patience and experience soon worked and in December 2005 Tom received his ASA Competitive Start award.
Returning to Haverhill Leisure Centre also gave Tom an opportunity to join the West Suffolk Swim Club. Currently he trains three mornings a week 6.00am to 7.30am with the Club and continues to have two 1:1 lessons with Pat Jason in the West Suffolk Swim Scheme.
Training at Haverhill Leisure Centre has not only helped Tom with his swimming but he has got to know the staff and other swimmers, giving him a lot more confidence.
This year he qualified for the National Long Course Event held at Ponds Forge Pool, Sheffield for the first time and at the Downs Worlds Championships in Limerick, Ireland he won 2 Gold’s 2 Silver’s and 1 Bronze. At this event 19 Countries attended the week long Competition including Australia, America, South Africa and Mexico and was structured like the Olympics, realising Tom’s wish to be like Adam Rockwood, the Olympic swimmer and Commonwealth 200m Backstroke Gold Medallist.
When Adam heard this news he sent Tom a signed GB Team Sydney 2000 Olympics T-shirt and said:
“Tom and all those involved with his swimming should be very proud indeed. Such achievements are testimony to the hours of hard work that Tom has dedicated to his sport. He is truly a remarkable individual."
For more information please contact Lesley Cowie, Sports Development Manager on 07960163551 or by e-mail:lesley.cowie@acleisure.com.
E-Mail Link: lesley.cowie@acleisure.com
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