[ Up ] [ Laura Welford ] [ Andrew Reynolds ]

Andrew Reynolds

Congratulations on your new British Record from all the club, well done!

Age: 20

N^o 1 stroke: Breaststroke

Occupation: Electrical/Engineer trainee

Hobbies and interests:

I enjoy taking part in most sports. I like listening to music especially pop, rock, R&B and dance. My favourite types of TV programs and films are comedy, action and sci-fi. I particularly enjoy socialising with friends in the local pubs and clubs.

History:

I have been swimming for 11 years and I am presently at my third club. I started at Redcar S.C. when I was 8, training in an unusual pool as it was slightly longer than normal (30m). I entered my first gala at the age of 10 where I broke my PB on 2 lengths breaststroke. Since then I started to swim for the team in competitions.

The 8 years I was there I set at least 8 club records
mainly on breaststroke collecting over a hundred medals of all descriptions. I had to leave due to the council closing the pool because they couldn't
afford to keep it open. So I began to look for a new club. I had 4 possible local clubs to choose from (Eston, Saltburn, Guisbrough and Middlesbrough).
 I tried out for Saltburn and they let me join after watching me in training. I spent about a year there and didn't like it much as I was not getting any swims for the club even though I was the fastest breaststroker there. Saltburn where talking about joining with Loftus Dolphins and we where told we could train there as well as at Saltburn. I enjoyed the training and coaching at Loftus so I left Saltburn after finding out that the merger was not going ahead. If I new how bad the training and coaching was at Saltburn then I would have probably gone to Middlesbrough SC instead of going to Loftus via Saltburn.

I am still swimming for Loftus Dolphins in competitions for the club and for myself. I have been swimming here for about 3 years and I have improved a lot since I went there. I have broken about 8 club records and I currently hold the 200m breaststroke record for the moors squad. My best year was in 1999 because at the counties I made to finals in the 100m fly and the 100m breaststroke. In the breaststroke I had about 8 swimmers in front of me on paper but I qualified 1st fastest and ended up finishing 2nd after breaking my P.B. by 2 seconds in the heats then 1 second again in the final.

Since then I have made my first N&D final in the 50m breastroke and have swam in the masters for the first time in the new 18-24 age group. I have won about 20 medals this year in the masters including 2 golds at the N&D masters and 2 silvers at the North Eastern Counties Championships.