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A swimmer who learned his skills in Haverhill swimming pool has vecome a world champion.

Abbeycroft Leisure’s sporting ambassador swimmer Tom Cole has won two gold medals in the World Downs Championships in Taiwan.

Tom, who learnt to swim with Haverhill Leisure Centre’s Swim Scheme, won gold in the 400m and 800m freestyle. He also won silver in the 200m individual medley and the 200m backstroke.

Tom, who lives in Sudbury, was the only member of the GB team to win gold.

It was the fourth time Tom had competed in the world championships and he competed against Downs swimmers from 28 countries. Tom also beat his personal bests in the 800m front crawl, 200m individual medley, 100m individual medley, and 200m backstroke.

Tom said: “I am very happy. I was confident that I could do well and when I finished I knew I had won.”

Tom is now looking forward to taking his medals into work at Marks and Spencer in Bury St Edmunds at the weekend and to show fellow swimmers at the West Suffolk Swimming Club.

His mum Barbara said he would not have learnt to swim, let alone achieved these amazing successes without the support of Abbeycroft Leisure, his Haverhill swim coach Pat Jason and the swim scheme.

She said: “It was without doubt the best moment of my life. Tom achieved everything I could have dreamed for him. I am very proud.”

Tom trains every weekday at Haverhill Leisure Centre as part of the swim scheme, West Suffolk Swimming Club and in the gym.

Mary Edwards, swim scheme co-ordinator at Haverhill Leisure Centre, said: “Tom will be an inspiration to others in the swim scheme of what can be achieved with hard work. He is really an inspiration to everyone.”

For his coach of six years, Pat Jason, it was a dream come true to see Tom compete in the world championships and win gold.

She said: “I knew Tom had put the work in and would do his very best. He took to the races right from the start. He was up against swimmers of a very high standard, in particular the Australians who did very well.

"We devised a race plan and stuck to it and it worked. When he received his gold medal they played the national anthem which was very moving.”