Multiple medal-winning swimmer Michael Rees has been making a splash inside, and outside the pool.

The 15-year-old from Sutton & Cheam Swimming Club performed heroics at the Surrey Championships earlier this month winning six golds, three silvers and two bronze medals.

Rees’ performance caught the eye and he has been selected for the English Talent Development Program run by the Amateur Swimming Association.

The swimmng all-rounder is hungry for more, and proved his commitment by overcoming a shoulder injury last year to compete for the London Schools at the English Schools Swimming Association Inter Divisional Championships.

He said: “I want to be as good as I can possibly can. I’d like to swim at an international level and perhaps even the Olympics one day.

“I have competed in the National Age Group Championships for the past three years, and my current aim is to compete this year at the British Summer Championships.”

And even at 15 years old, the teenager has plenty of experience to fall back on.

He said: “I started learning to swim when I was about four years old at Cheam Fields Primary School.

“I moved to Sutton & Cheam when I was six, and I swam in my first gala when I was at nine, and have continued to compete ever since.”

The club train for 13 hours a week, including early mornings and Sundays, so as not to clash with school, and this full timetable does not leave much time for relaxing.

Rees said: “I don’t get a lot of free time, but what free time I do get I like to spend with family and friends, or watching TV or listening to music.

“I like most other sports, but apart from PE at school I don’t have any time to play them. I don’t have time for other sports.”

He added: “I have lots of competitions coming up. All of them are extremely important because they’ll help me qualify for the British Summer Championships in July.”

 

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One to watch: Sutton & Cheam swimmer Michael Rees