Sporting Talbot Heath colours [even including their nails] the lively foursome of Caidee, Yasmin, Eloise, and Zaara ventured north to Sheffield to compete in the ESSA Primary Teams National Finals at the weekend. The day began with a pool familiarisation and warm-up session; next the team danced poolside to timeless hits like the Macarena and YMCA, before Caidee and Yasmin, proudly led the captain’s parade for the Open Ceremony.
Through the regional competitions, the team qualified for both the 4 x 25m Freestyle and 4 x 25m Medley Relay to compete against the top 30 school teams across England.
The opening event, the 4 x 25 Freestyle Relay, saw Yasmin set a blistering pace with a personal best, swiftly followed by Caidee who tore down the pool on her leg, achieving a personal best. Eloise continued the trend with another outstanding personal record before handing over to Zaara, who closed the relay spectacularly, securing another personal best for herself. The effort landed the team in 21st place. It was shy of a position in the finals, yet a brilliant display of skills and personal bests.
During the 4 x 25m Medley Relay, Eloise started strong with the backstroke leg before Caidee took over with the breaststroke, maintaining the momentum. Yasmin then slashed through the water in the butterfly leg with Zaara bringing it home on the front crawl. The relay result was yet another set of personal bests, mirroring their earlier 21st-place standing.
The girls demonstrated a solid, team-centred, and professional approach from the outset, following meticulous movement and mobility exercises, timing their meals well, and warming up efficiently — all while boosting each other’s morale on perfecting their takeover techniques.
For three of the athletes, it was their maiden National competition, and they thrived, thanks to the support of Coach Mr Alldrick and Team Manager Mrs Salmond, whose guidance and nurturing were invaluable.
Huge congratulations to our spirited young swimmers on their commendable performance at the national level.
