Kent World Junior Swimmer Hoping For Glory At National Competition

A Kent Teenager is hoping to win gold at a national swimming competition and qualify for the Commonwealth games next year.

Annabel Guye-Johnson, 17, from Hawkhurst, will be competing at Winter Nationals from December 13-17.

The competition will be held at Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield.

Annabel will be competing in the 50, 100 and 200 metre breaststroke for her club RTW Monson. The season began in August and she has been training for over 15 hours a week in the pool and 3 hours in the gym. Although, she has been training full time since she was 14.

She said: “At the competition, it is qualifying for the Commonwealth games but I have had a slight knee injury so we shall have to see how it goes. I’m in the senior team now so it’s a lot harder starting at the bottom as I’m the youngest.”

Annabel’s coach, Graham Bassi said: “Training has been restricted due to injury for the past few months but she has consistently worked hard in training never missing a session. I’m very confident of a good performance during the week ahead.”

The young swimmer had success in August at the World Juniors where she represented Team GB. She became World Junior Bronze Medalist in the 200 metres and finishing with a 3 second PB. She is unsure when she will compete with Team GB again.

She said: “At every competition you have to qualify for the team so you don’t know when you will compete again. I do now have funding which helps but doesn’t guarantee anything.” 

There are junior opportunities next year to qualify for Europeans.