A RECORD 15 members of Wirral Metro swimming club have qualified for places in the Aquatics GB Summer Championships.

They will be among hundreds taking part in the English and National competition contests at the former Commonwealth pool at Sheffield Ponds Forge from tomorrow (Saturday, July 20) to Friday (British) and July 29 – August 3 (English).

Wirral Metro is believed to be the borough's only high-performance swim club with swimmers joining from a range of local clubs. Its previous members include swimmers such as Olympic Gold Medallist Freya Anderson.

The 15 swimmers taking part represent every age category with the youngest aged just 11 years old at their first national competition.

Of the 15 swimmers, five aged 12-13 have come through the recently established Peninsula Academy, which Metro formed two years ago to work with local clubs and develop talent from across the Wirral Many swimmers will have a busy few weeks, having qualified for multiple events in the pool, that’s around 70 separate races. Some will also be swimming the National Open Water Championships between the two major competitions.

Head Coach Martin Brooks said, “This year my team has excelled with 15 qualifiers, demonstrating the power of unity and a strong work ethic. Now, it’s time for our hard work to pay off and make Wirral swimming proud.”

Wirral Metro swimmer Harper Aspinall, age 11, said: “Swimming at nationals is a dream come true. We’ve worked so hard to make it to nationals and I can’t wait to swim with my team. I’m so proud.”

A full list of Wirral Metro Competitors can be found at: https://www.wirralmetro.co.uk/news/meet-the-national-qualifiers