Swimming champion Mark Foster teaches Islington children in crash course

Swimming legend Mark Foster made a splash with Islington schoolchildren during a three-day crash course in the sport.

The former butterfly and freestyle champion and a team of coaches held a swimming camp with the Mark Foster Swimming Academy at Holloway School, Hilldrop Road, in partnership with the borough council’s leisure provider Aquaterra.

Some 60 young club level swimmers aged between 12 and 17 took part, with Aquaterra sponsoring four young athletes from the Anaconda Swimming Club, based at the Cally and Holloway pools, to also take part.

The five-time Olympian said: “The Mark Foster Swimming Academy had a very successful first swim camp in Islington. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the bright stars of the future.

“We hope all the children who took part had as much fun as we did and took away key skills from the sport”.

Donna Donovan, whose son Tommy swims competitively with Anaconda Swimming Club, said: “He said he really enjoyed the experience and felt very inspired by the world champion and coaching team.”

Denise Davy, Aquaterra Manager for Holloway School out of hours sports facilities, said: “Sponsoring talented young Islington swimmers to attend the swim camp was an excellent way for us to help bring the benefits of health and fitness to the communities we work with.

“We’ve been delighted to have had the opportunity to work with a sportsman of Mark Foster’s calibre.”