IAPS National Final Winners!
Please click here to watch a video of the incredible journey of our U11 Girls' Swim Team to win bronze medals at the IAPS National Finals!
"It was an extraordinary day for the U11 Girls on Saturday, who travelled to London to compete in the IAPS National Swimming Finals, held in the iconic 2012 Olympic swimming venue, the London Aquatic Centre. The team consisted of Captain Ailsa F, Charlotte, Peyton, Sophie, Annabelle, Megan B, Alicia and Kitty.
The girls qualified for this event earlier in the year having swam in one of the many regional qualifiers taking place around the UK. Following a great swim at Repton, the girls eagerly awaited the results in the hope that we would finish as one of the top 10 ‘small schools’. It was a huge achievement to qualify and to qualify with the third fastest time!
This meant that we had some preparation to do over the forthcoming weeks which included the use of Jubilee Park so we could train in a longer pool. All eight girls worked incredibly hard, focusing on their individual goals as well as our team goal…to finish on the podium!
The girls made their own way to London with their families and we met as a team in Queen Elizabeth Park, where we had time to soak up the great atmosphere and mentally prepare ourselves for what was to come.
Though clearly nervous, the girls really stepped up to the occasion and took it all in their stride. We were the first event of the afternoon and the race itself saw Charlotte take to the blocks first. With a very nervous Mrs Felton and Mrs Cardovillis watching from the upper concourse, the buzzer sounded and they were off.
Every swimmer gave 100% and it was super to see them all focusing on those important elements we had worked on in training - six dolphin kicks off the wall, streamlining underwater, no breathing in and out of the red zone and so on. These are all things that we knew could shave milliseconds of our time and they did just that!
The team were amazed to learn that they dropped 12.04s of their qualifying time - an incredible accomplishment. While some of the first swimmers were in a position to watch the end of the race, others were still in the midst of swimming the final couple of legs or leaving the pool. Seeing the team together watching the electronic timing board for confirmation was a real highlight. They were absolutely thrilled to have confirmation that they had achieved what they set out to do all those months ago. It was a lovely moment to see them receive their medals in front of a very proud bunch of parents, grandparents and siblings.
A huge CONGRATULATIONS to each and every one of them. What a TEAM and a great reminder that Together Everyone Achieves More! The girls will be awarded their IAPS finalist badges in Friday’s celebration assembly, when they will also deliver a presentation to the school. I hope you enjoy watching the video which includes some of the highlights of the day."
Mrs Felton, Director of Sport
