On Tuesday 28th October City of Hereford Swimming Club welcomed Anna Hopkin MBE and Kevin Pickard to the club for an AP Race Workshop for all club members.
The AP Race Team was founded by three-time Olympic champion Adam Peaty. The club visit was part of AP Race’s wider initiative to support swimmers, parents and coaches in having a more fulfilling and informed experience within the sport. Their mission is not just to build faster swimmers but to nurture confident, motivated individuals both in and out of the pool.
Anna Hopkin won gold as part of the British team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the mixed 4 × 100 metre Medley Relay, setting a new world record time. Kevin and Anna delivered two pool sessions offering swimmers across the club a rare opportunity to train with some of the best in the sport. It was an inspirational afternoon with over 60 club swimmers in attendance. With the key focus on stroke control the swimmers had a really enjoyable time and City of Hereford coaches also benefitted as they got a better understanding around elite athlete development.
Head Coach, Graham Begley expressed how valuable the visit was to the club:
“It was really nice to see the swimmers so engaged and inspired by Anna and Kevin. It served as a great opportunity for the swimmers to hear the things that the coaching team at the club share day in and day out but it means more coming from an Olympic medallist. Hopefully the visit also highlighted to the swimmers that there is more to time improvements in their swimming, developing as individuals and developing key life skills in a fun and enjoyable club environment is just as, if not more, valuable.”
The swimmers engaged with lots of questions during the afternoon and parents also gained valuable tips and key advice through a parent talk with Kevin. City of Hereford Swimming Club looks forward to hosting more events like this in the future as it continues to provide high-quality coaching and unforgettable experiences for its swimmers.
For more information on how to join the swimming club please visit our website and submit an enquiry form. We also offer Water Polo sessions on Saturday mornings.