Last weekend, five swimmers from Enniskillen Lakelanders made their way to Limerick to compete in the Irish Age Group Youth Championships - also known as Division I. Altogether, there were 58 clubs competing, including five from England and one from America.
Eleven-year-old Kevin Murray had a total medal haul of two gold, one silver and one bronze. After a bad start tothe 100m Freestyle, Kevin came from behind to take gold, showing his determination and true grit in the process. In Butterfly, he was lying fourth on the turn but broke away from the pack to take gold, three seconds ahead of second place.
Sixteen-year-old Chelsey Wilson claimed two gold and one bronze medal over two days' swimming. Chelsey swam a magnificent 200m Backcrawl in the final, a full ten seconds ahead of the second placed finisher and she followed this up in the 100m Backcrawl, winning gold again.
To claim her bronze medal, Chelsey swam in the 200m Individual Medley - a race consisting of all four strokes. Next up on Chelsey's calendar is the British Youth Championships in Sheffield.
Tom Murray gave a memorable performance at this meet, considering that he missed a lot of training this season owing to examinations. His most impressive swim was the 100m Butterfly where he took the bronze medal and reaching finals in his other events.
Rachel Ellis proved her credibility in the water by reaching the finals in all her events - just missing out on bronze medals in the 100m Butterfly and 200m Backcrawl.
Her club-mate, Lucy Parkinson, also just missed out on a bronze medal in her trademark strokes, the 200m and 100m Breaststroke where she gave a great performance against a top class field.
Courtney Wilson competed for the first time in a 50m pool at this meet. Again, she did not disappoint with her performance. Courtney remained focused and undaunted by her opposition in both her 200m and 100m backcrawl swims. She qualified to the finals taking 5th and 6th position, recording a personal best time of 1.15.02 for the 100m long course.
A great meet for these dedicated Enniskillen swimmers who have yet again proved that they can compete with the best in Ireland.
