Droitwich Dolphins Newsletter. Autumn 2007     Number 5                         

(Downloadable from www.droitwichdolphins.co.uk – please check web site for regular updates)

The 2007/ 2008 swimming season gets under way with the swimmers hopefully refreshed from their long summer holidays. There is a busy schedule of swimming events over the next few months so please check the Notice Board regularly

 Other News:

Open Meets  - please ensure you pass on to the Club your times from any Open Meets you participate in, as your times are not submitted to the Club by the organisers.

Robin Williams at the National Championships held at Sheffield.

Most of us were aware that Robin was swimming for Droitwich at the Nationals in July. We are all immensely proud of his achievements so far, and wish him well as he goes off to train full time with City of Birmingham.

Robin has kindly written us a short report of his experience competing at National level which he would like to share with you: ………

Robin’s Report

On 28th and 31st of July I swam my first Nationals up in Sheffield at Ponds
Forge swimming complex. It was amazing!!! The pool, the atmosphere and the
swimmers. My main aim was to enjoy it and have a memorable experience and to
swim fast. My first swim was 100m freestyle and my entry time was 54.60 and
all I wanted was to beat it. Standing behind the blocks I wasn’t nervous,
this is what I had spent all those gruelling hours slogging up and down the
pool training for. I got off to a flyer my 50m split was a 50m sprint PB. I
was going well till the last 25m, that’s when I hit the wall but it wasn’t
physically, it was a mind thing. I tried my hardest to power through it.
Touching the wall and looking up at the big scoreboard I had done it, 54.56.

My next race would be in 2 days time so I spent that time on poolside
cheering on my Birmingham team mates and watching international stars
performing.

My next race was 100m butterfly. Having got my qualifying time short course
I was seeded in the lower heats. I had never broken 60 seconds long course
for this event and I was intent to change this. Again standing behind the
block I wasn’t nervous, this was my fun event. I took the race from the
start hoping to somehow finish the race strong. At 50m my split was 27.65
and was not looking forward to the last 25m. However it wasn’t a problem
this time. Looking up at the scoreboard, R WILLIAMS 59.33. I had done it.

Later that day I had 50m freestyle. This was my event, I had to do well. A one

length splash and dash. Again having entered a short course time I was
seeded in the lower heats but that wouldn’t stop me. My PB was 25.7, my
split from the 100m 3 days previous. Blasting the swim and looking up at the
scoreboard I was amazed, 24.79, my season best for short and long course.

My nationals experience was over and it was worlds apart from all my other
swimming experiences. I was sad to be leaving but overall very happy with my
swimming. I can’t wait till next year’s nationals or perhaps the Brit champs
if I improve my times, but just because I’ve made nationals once doesn’t
mean I can slack off, I know the hard work doesn’t stop, I need to work
harder than ever. My nationals experience has fuelled my desire to swim
further more looking into the future. Was it worth all the training??? 

Every single second of it!!!

Big thanks go to my mom and dad, with out them I would never be able to swim. My brother and sister for their support. Simon and all the other coaches whose training is second to none and to all at Droitwich for their fantastic support.

Never give up!!

And a further report from Lesley Houlston the Team Manager for the County Relay teams in July;

The County Relay event held at Worcester baths in July appears on the surface to be the one serious “fun”event in the swimming calendar.  Whereas we sometimes struggle to get first choice teams for some of our league events, that is never a problem for the relays.  Everyone wants to take part!

This year we entered teams in every age group for both ladies and men, and were able to field two ladies and three mens Masters teams.  And didn’t we do well?!

Digressing slightly for a moment, as some of you may know, we were promoted this year to Division 2 of the Speedo League.  The Formula 1 of the leagues in which we compete.  Since that promotion I, for one, have had sleepless nights worrying about whether we would hold our own in a higher level of competition.  The performance of our swimmers at the relay event has certainly helped put my mind at rest.  We still have some weaker age groups that desperately need more pool time to train, and there is always room for improvement even in the most successful of the age groups, but on the whole, the performance was awesome.

We secured places in the finals in 16 of the 24 events and finished in the top 3 in seven of these events.  Our Mens Masters A team of Malcolm Latta, Andy Bourne, Robin and Mark Williams took gold in the medley, and the A team of Latta, Williams, Williams and Liam Ginty took  bronze in the freestyle.   The ladies Masters were similarly successful, with the A Team of Charlotte Llewellyn, Janet Jones, Emma Houlston and Helen Nutter taking gold in the freestyle and with Vicky Vaughan and Jess Garvey replacing Houlston and Nutter, took silver in the medley.  The B Team of Vicky Vaughan, Zoe Hartwright, Hannah Whitely and Sue Watt took bronze in the freestyle and with Kathryn Llewellyn replacing Vaughan took bronze in the medley.

Of the age group swimmers the 9/10 year old boys team of Charlie Arrowsmith, Daniel Buck, Anthony Redfern and Sam Cave stormed home to take bronze in the Medley, and I think were the proudest winners of the day!! 

The most successful age group team of the day were the 13/14 year old girls.  The medley team of Roxanne Sweeney, Kathryn Llewellyn, Helen Nutter and Emma Houlston took third place, and the freestyle team of Sweeney, Nutter, Houlston and Tamlyn Williams took silver in a tremendously close race with only six seconds separating first and sixth place.

Other age groups reaching the finals were the mens 11/12, 13/14, 15/16 and open teams and the ladies 15/16 and open teams.  All of whom competed well and did the Club proud.

Not only did our teams perform superbly in the water, but they were fantastic on poolside as well.  Our swimmers were always where they should be, and whenever our Club was represented in a race, their cheers could be heard above the crowd.

As with all sports, there is always talk on the sidelines, and at this meet, there was a lot of comment about Droitwich Dolphins and the immense improvement that can be seen in our swimmers.  So……keep up the good work.  Train hard, train well and next year lets aim to be in every final and take a few more medals away from the bigger teams.

L Houlston (Team Manager)

Information Officer: Lesley Rimington. Please contact me if you have a news item which you would like included in a future newsletter.

e-mail: rimington@tinyworld.co.uk