Stowmarket swimming club has had an extremely successful 12 months of competitive action. Below is a flavour of the success enjoyed by club members and is testament to all their hard work in training and the high quality coaching led by Shaun and Sylvia.

The 2005/2006 winter league started in November 2005 and was very competitive and after three rounds Stowmarket “A” boys retained their title. The girls came in 4 th which meant that overall the team came 3 rd . Stowmarket “B” finished 5 th in a very strong Division 2, a very good effort all round.

January saw the club come together at the snooker club for the annual awards ceremony where members were awarded their cups and medals for the success over the previous year.

March saw 40 members compete at the Suffolk Championships. David Harrison picked up 3 championship titles (50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke). Aaron Lynch won 4 junior championships (50m breaststroke, fly, back and freestyle). Aaron also won the overall 11 year old bagcat championship. The 4x50 medley boys relay team of James, Joe, Edmund and Adam gained gold. James King gained the 15 year old stroke award for breaststroke. The team finished 6 th overall.

In May 16 masters swimmers attended the Diss Otters open coming home with 28 medals, Shaun, David and Sue gained gold medals and a large number of silver and bronze medals were won. Shaun and David also picked up several meet records between them.

June saw the club at the development championships with 25 members gaining a large medal haul. Jacob, Iona, Hollie, Mollie, Stuart, Ella, Ria, Sam, Jamie, Sarah, Marc and Sarah Jane all won medals.

Members competed in the youth and age group championships at Norwich. Aaron having the most success coming home with 3 championship wins and coming 3 rd overall in the bagcat rating.

July saw the team return to the Clacton pier race with Guy and Harriett gaining 3 rd places for their respective age groups.

David and Aaron went on to compete at national level at Sheffield. David competed in the 50m breaststroke returning with a pb. Aaron reached 5 finals gaining two 2 nd places and a 3 rd . Aaron finished 3 rd overall.

September Stowmarket hosted the inaugural Mid Suffolk sprint open at Bury St Edmunds. Jacob, Will, David, Shaun, Edmund, Sophie, Nicola, Jessica, Sarah, Sam, Adam, Jamie, James, Ella, Beth, Nathan L all picked up medals.

Aaron and Adam have also competed in the schools gala, Aaron winning the 100m freestyle at National level.

7 members attended the 2 nd East Region Long Course Championships at the UEA . There were many very competitive swims with James King coming out top by bringing home a gold medal in the 50m breaststroke and a new East Region record time of 34.21. David gained silver in the same event. Shaun brought home a bronze in the open 50m freestyle event in a personal best time of 25.12. The Stowmarket 4x100m freestyle relay team of Shaun, David, Adam and James Christopher gained a silver in a time of 3.44.62 a Suffolk County record. Aaron has also gained national qualifying times in several events.

There was also an international flavour with several of the senior members interrupting a stag weekend to show the Spanish how to swim!

As the 2006 club championships continue many members are gaining county championship times and there is every prospect that the club will have a greater presence at the regional and national championships.

Another of our successes is the club website www.stowmarketswimmingclub.co.uk , which has grown immensely since last year, which I would like to thank Claire Harrison for. She has set up the website and is always updating the website to make it more accessible and to also help bring money into the club, via the new links that allow parents to do their shopping online. Thank you very much!

I have only been secretary for a short while, but within that time I have spent doing this role I can see that the club is growing from strength to strength with not only swimmers reaching national level, but also the number of members that the club now holds. We are now up to full capacity on a Friday night, which is great! Therefore I would like to take the chance to say thank you and well done to all the teachers and helpers that help out, your time and effort is much appreciated.

We are always looking for new helpers on poolside and off and over the past few months we have had 6 swimmers on the swim teachers level 1 course who are awaiting their results, so good luck everyone! It is nice to see swimmers progressing into teaching as well as swimming themselves still, which will benefit the club through them passing on not only their teaching knowledge but their first hand experience of swimming, especially in Gala's.

Samantha McGee