Barry swimming club aims to nurture Welsh Paralympians (From Barry And District News)

Barry swimming club aims to nurture Welsh Paralympians

11:00am Saturday 9th March 2013 in Sport

A NEW disability swimming academy has been launched in the Vale of Glamorgan to help nurture the next generation of Welsh Paralympians.

The new academy, based at Barry Leisure Centre, will give talented swimmers aged from 11 upwards access to top quality coaching and the chance to become classified to compete in regional and national competitions.

The academy has been set up in partnership by Swim Wales, the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Parkwood Community Leisure, and it is open to swimmers from the Vale of Glamorgan as well as those from further afield.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Disability Sport Wales Officer Simon Jones said: “In the London 2012 Paralympics, Welsh athletes won an extraordinary 14 medals, which included two in swimming.

However, there weren’t any Welsh Paralympians competing in London 2012 who were from the Vale of Glamorgan and we are hoping to do all that we can to change this in the future. This new competitive swimming academy will help to spot some potential stars and give them the training they need to hopefully reach an elite level.”

As the academy is a competitive club rather than a recreational one there are minimum requirements for potential participants.

Swimmers need to have either achieved level five of the ‘Learn to Swim’ National Plan for Teaching, or be able to swim 50 metres in a recognised swimming stroke.

The Vale Disability Swimming Academy trains at Barry Leisure Centre every Wednesday, between 6pm and 7.30pm. Contact Simon Jones on 01446 704728.