CP Sport has a wonderful background for developing top class swimmers who have gone on to win many medals in both national and international events.

Jill Stidever, our swimming co-ordinator, has worked with cerebral palsy swimmers for many years and works closely with the British Paralympic Squad. Her daughter Jane was a relay gold medallist at the Athens Paralympics.

CP Sport runs a National Gala, which is held each year at the Nottingham University Pool, Main University Campus, and a Junior Gala that has now become a regular event, is held at Leek in Staffordshire. Also CP swimmers compete overseas in the Linburg Trophy in Belgium, the Belgium Open Disability meet and also in the CP ISRA World Games in addition to some swimmers competing in the Paralympics Games.

Juniors

Swimming development has started with introductory Swimming Development Days, with children covering the full spectrum of cerebral palsy and varying abilities attending.

The day is split into three time zones starting with a practical swim session where a child's ability is assessed; they are then grouped accordingly, with each group being led by a qualified coach.

The middle session's cover lunchtime during which the children are given a power-point presentation about CP Sport, disability swimming, the pathways open to them for progression, along with words of encouragement from CP Paralympic medallists, finished off with a question and answer session.

These days are then followed by a junior gala that has now become a yearly event.

As this format has proved to be successful, this work will continue with the intention of reaching new areas of the country.

Liaison with the Amateur Swimming Association has been beneficial in identifying suitable swimming pathways for the juniors who are not already in sessions. It also helps the ASA with their development plans and keeps CP Sport swimmers in the forefront of disability swimming.

For junior swimming contact - junior@cpsport.org

Beijing

CP Sport would like to congratulate the following swimmers for their recent selection for the Paralympic Swimming Team travelling to Beijing this year.

Danielle Watts
Fran Williamson
Nyree Lewis
Sascha Kindred
Liz Johnson
Matthew Walker
David Roberts
Natalie Jones

It is a fantastic achievement for all of these swimmers and we know that they will do themselves, Great Britain and CP Sport proud. CP Sport will be following their progress and updating the website regularly, so watch this space.