School children swim with Olympian

Fife Sports and Leisure Trust – the region’s leading provider of sports and leisure services – launched the national framework in 2016 and delivers the Learn to Swim programme in nine of its swimming pools – it now has over 6000 participants benefiting from swimming classes.

Gathering at Michael Woods Sports and Leisure Centre, Glenrothes, the trust invited 100 children from Coaltown Primary School, Rimbleton Primary School and pre-school children already enrolled in the Learn to Swim programme, to take to the water with the Olympic athlete then join him poolside to ask questions about his swimming career.

Following his recent success at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, Duncan was pleased to see so many Fife youngsters having fun in the water and developing their swimming skills.

Duncan (21) said: “Swimming is a life skill and you can start swimming before you start school. It’s great to see so many children learning to swim at a really young age and having fun at the same time – which is what it’s all about at this age.”

Hosting the event, Scott Urquhart, operations manager for Fife Sports and Leisure Trust, said: “The event is a celebration of the success of the programme, as well as the trust’s own aquatic strategy, which are both designed to support swimmers of all abilities and ages to develop their swimming skills so that they can achieve success – whether that’s being confident in the water and learning a lifelong skill, or, going on to club level.

“Duncan is an inspirational athlete and we are very grateful to him for coming along and giving the swimmers an unforgettable experience.”