Three young Salford swimmers have been chosen for England youth programme.
This means the three swimmers – Katie Lee, Ben Ross and Viyana Sefi – will be training with the England camp, and with Katie and Ben also starting and continuing a Diploma of Sporting Excellence (DISE).
Katie Lee (17) is on after she started her first year of the studies alongside her national youth team call up.
“I’ve been chosen to do DISE and through the 2 years it will consist of multiple camps down in Loughborough for education on the body and science of sport,” she said.
“It will also mean that i get to go away with the team in the second year which will be really fun and another good international competition.
“By having the opportunity, I am able to do an extra BTEC alongside my A levels at sixth form. It’s a great opportunity and I am very grateful to have been chosen.”
Viyana Sefi (15) was also selected for the English national talent program, while Ben Ross (17) starts his second year of the Diploma of Sporting Excellence.
Thomas Nelson (29) is one of the coaches who have been working with Viyana Sefi however also supports, Katie Lee and Ben Ross.
“I personally worked with Viyana last season for a year and a half,” he said.
“For Viyana, this is her first opportunity to be picked for a national squad of some sort. So, for her, it’s a massive opportunity.”
“I support and cover for Katie and Ben, the other two athletes in question”
Ben and Katie will both be striving to do well in their Diplomas of Sporting Excellence.
“It will benefit them massively. It sets them up for their further education, to aspire to go to university, as it provides extra UCAS points for the swimmers in question.
“Ben and Katie, have had prior international experience, they’ve also swam for Great Britain, so they’re quite seasoned veterans when it comes to being called up to occasions and being picked for teams and opportunities.”
Salford have had a rich history in recent times when it comes to the sport of swimming with young prodigy Amelie Blocksidge taking most of the stardom, however both Katie and Ben have both had national call ups themselves.
“Ben and Katie have had quite a bit of experience already with being picked for Great Britain in the 2023 European Junior Open Water Championships”
On these programmes and call ups the three swimmers will be doing many different sessions.
“A lot of it is, the obvious is training. Training they get provided with, and also further education and awareness. Particularly when you’re doing the DICE course, a lot of that is further education within sport as well.”
“They help supplement what they’re doing in the pool, on top of all knowledge about strength and conditioning, nutrition, work-life balance.
“It’s all linked back into swimming, and it’s all linked back into further education and awareness of the sport from a sports science perspective.
“Knowledge and involvement of the sport as a whole from a physiological point of view as well.”
With this news about the three swimmers as well as Amelie Blocksidge showing that it is very possible to break out and to be successful in the swimming world.
“It goes to show the strength of the program, the strength and depth that we do have.
“It sets a benchmark for others to attain to, to follow to, and shows the caliber of athlete that we’re able to raise from the ground up from our Learn to Swim program, with our program being headed by Head Coach John Stout.”
Listen to the full interview with Thomas Nelson below.
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