RUGBY Swimming Club captain Tom Parker led my example after winning four gold and three silver medals at Rugby’s annual open meeting earlier this month.
Over 350 swimmers from 28 clubs across the country took part in 32 events at this year’s meeting which took place from April 15-17
Parker went head-to-head with a number of different foes in the longer events and although he did not always come out on top, he did manage to win no fewer than seven medals.
The Rugby skipper won gold in the 200m breaststroke, 200m front crawl, 200m back crawl and 200m individual medlay events, while Maddie Haywood won five medals in total.
She won gold in the 50m back crawl, 100m back crawl and 200m front crawl as well as finishing runner-up in the 200m individual medlay and 200m back crawl.
In terms of medals some of the usual suspects, were joined by some new names and faces, as well as some not so new.
New to the medals table included Ben Jones, Harriet Troup, Lana-Rees, Erin, George Jarman, James Armeson, and Tom Tyler.
Karen Bates and Rachel Lloyd kept the teenage girls on their toes and club president Ross Turner blew the field away in the 50m freestyle race after winning gold in a superb 25.16 seconds.
Success can be measued in different ways and although they may have missed out on medals, many swimmers went on to record multiple personal best times.
May Patchett-Smyth managed an incredible ten PBs in all ten of her races including in the 200m freestyle race after her goggles came off at the start.
Her brother Mackenzie recorded nine PBs, while Toby Rigg, Megan Williams, Lana Reese and Wilson Shrubb claimed eight and Luie Gilroy, Dan Carey, Matt Seaton, Harriet Troupe, Ceri House, Erin Lloyd and Jasmine Rigg all recorded seven.
