DENTON Artistic Swimming Club have made a splash on the national stage with two triumphs in quick succession.
The club’s Masters team dived into gold with a stunning victory in the technical team event at the sport’s UK championships.
Riding the wave of success from their recent win at the North West and North East multi-regional championships in Manchester, the six-strong squad swam circles around the competition in Sheffield with their lively Charleston-themed routine – securing the top spot out of 22 teams.
Now with two gold medals under their belt, they’re floating ambitious plans to enter next year’s European championships – logistics permitting.
The team, which ranges in age between 21 and 48, trains twice a week in the pools at Tameside Wellness Centre in Denton, and at Active Medlock in Droylsden.
For members Jo Priest and Sue Williams, the latest titles are particularly sweet as they have been swimming together since the age of eight.
Jo recently raised over £2,500 for charity by swimming the equivalent of the English channel over seven days in the pools at Denton and Hyde.
She said: “Back in the 80s, there was a synchro team called Tameside Synchro, which used to swim at the old Denton baths, and Sue and I competed on the same team back when we were eight years old.
“When we both turned 40, we ended up back in the pool together, and then Sue came on board and formed part of the team. And as it’s progressed, we’ve got other members of the old Tameside squad that have come back as well.”
Along with Jo and Sue, the team is made of Aimee Carey – the baby of the team at 21 – former Tameside synchro swimmers Lesley Layton and Tina Mann, and Vicky Worsley, who at the age of 47 has only been competing for two years.
Denton Artistic Swimming Club welcomes boys and girls from the age of seven with no upper age limit and once swimmers get to the age of 18, they can join the masters squad.
“Synchronised swimming has had a bad rep in the past, it’s even been ridiculed, but it’s actually a superpower,” Jo added.
“You need the grace of a ballerina or a dancer. You need the agility and the flexibility of a gymnast. You need the spatial awareness of a footballer and the stamina of a long-distance runner. You need to be able to do all those things without needing to breathe!”
Anyone interested in joining Denton Artistic Swimming Club should email headcoach.dssc@gmail.com or visit https://www.dentonartisticswimmingclub.org/