Students at Priory School in Bury St Edmunds competed in the Panathlon National Finals – a charity which gives young people with disabilities and special educational needs the opportunity to take part in competitive sport.
The finals took place in the prestigious 50m pool at the London Aquatics Centre, which was home to the London Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012.
This time it was Priory students who were ready to make waves in this historic pool. The team secured a spot in the finals after successfully competing in local qualifiers in Ipswich.
The event had a total of eight schools competing for a place on the podium, including teams from Blackpool, Reading, and London.
Students put their swimming skills to the test and went head-to-head in a series of individual races and team relays. Teams then worked together in a series of fun challenges, including a treasure hunt in the pool.
16-year-old Priory student Georgia said: “My favourite thing was the competitions and going against other schools. When I saw how big the pool was, I said “wow”. I wasn’t expecting it to be that big.”
Tom Parkington, a teacher at Priory, attended the competition with his students, and is exceptionally proud of their achievement.
“Some of the schools either have their own pool or they train regularly – we don’t. The selection process is me asking teachers for good swimmers. We are very much ‘let’s go and give our best’, and we came out really well.”
The team finished in an impressive fourth place, with only a few points between them and third.
Tom said, “I think the fact that we give them those opportunities is really important. We really do try and push for those experiences and those memorable moments. When I was at school, it was the trips and days out that you remember.
“I left there feeling very proud and just happy that they got the chance to go and swim in the best pool in the country – that’s something I think they’ll always remember.”