25/03/11…..Olympic champ congratulates Thame swimmers

THAME swimmers have been doing the town proud recently, competing at the Oxon & North Bucks County Championships. Despite the qualifying times for the 2011 event being made more stringent, Thame attended with a larger squad than last year and had several swimmers make it to the finals for their events, notably Elliot Riley-Brown, Hallam Cozier, Grace Gilmore, George Finch, Amy Fleming and Georgia Cahill.

Jo Hewett, swimming in the 50m & 100m Backstroke for the Bucks Disability Club although also a Thame SC swimmer, took gold and silver respectively. Many of the swimmers were competing at the championships for the first time. Thame SC?s patron and Olympic swimmer, Simon Burnett, who trains in the US but had been competing at the British Gas National Championships in Manchester, dropped in to congratulate the swimmers on their performance.

Simon said: ?The swimmers put in some great performances. This is great achievement for a club that will be two years old in April.? Simon then took on the swimmers in several races ? fortunately winning all of them!

The swimmers thanked Simon for mentioning the club at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi whilst he was being interviewed with the rest of the Men?s 4x100M Freestyle relay team by the BBC?s Sharon Davies.

Thame swimmers will be running a sponsored swim in aid of local charity UCARE on Sunday, March 27, 2011 at Thame Leisure Centre pool. If you would like to support them, please pop up to the pool between 4pm and 8pm and donate some cash!

CONTRIUBUTED