Scottish Gas National Open Championship 2011

16yr old swimmer Heather Richardson from the Hartlepool Swimming Club made a round trip of 368 miles to compete in the Scottish Gas National Open Swimming Championships on Friday the 1st and Saturday the 2nd of July.  The competition was held in the Tollcross Park Leisure Centre, Glasgow.

Heather’s build up to this competition wasn’t ideal as she’d had a plaster cast fitted to the wrist she’d broken after a freak fall at the British Gas ASANER Youth & Senior Championships 2011 in Sunderland back in May.  However with a specialist plastic cover protecting the cast, she endeavoured to continue her training in the pool. The plaster cast was removed a week before making the journey to Glasgow.

On Friday, Heather competed in the 200m Individual Medley making a seasonal best time and the 200m Backstroke where she made the finals in the event coming 6th just missing her National time by less than a second. On Saturday Heather swam in the 100m Backstroke and the 400m Freestyle events just missing her PB’s.

After the competition Heather said ‘top swimmers from all over the world come to compete in the Scottish Gas National Open and if you’re not 100% fit your going to find it tough.  The past couple of months have been hard for me.  Trying to swim with a plaster cast on wasn’t ideal but it didn’t stop me. I’m not back to my best yet but I felt comfortable in the pool and all my times where just outside my Personal Bests.  Now the plaster cast is off its going to be business as usual in training ’

Heather came home on Saturday night and travelled to Sunderland on Sunday morning to compete in the City of Sunderland ASC 2011 Summer Splash. She picked up three medals from her races: a 2nd place Silver medal in the 200m Freestyle and two 1st place Gold medals in the 100m Backstroke and the 100m Breaststroke.

Head coach Ian Bullock commented ‘Heather is a perfect example to the younger swimmers.  Her inner strength and sheer passion for swimming has shone through in training over the past two months.  A week after having a plaster cast removed she was willing to make a 368 mile round trip to compete in Scotland on Friday and Saturday and then make a 68mile round trip to compete in Sunderland on Sunday.  This shows Heathers total love and commitment to her chosen sport. Hartlepool SC is very proud of her’

Press release HASC 46 – 22nd August 2011
Issued by Marley Jackson, 01642 735303, 01429 428738 or 07817263803