News
September 30th 2013
Swadlincote Air Cadets swimming championship success
Sunday 22nd September 2013 saw a team of 1211 (Swadlincote) Squadron Air Training Corps (ATC) best swimmers reach a strong second place in an annual swimming competition against 29 other Air Cadet units from the South and East Midlands area, including Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire and Leicestershire.
The Cadets from Swadlincote were broken down into four categories: Junior girls, Senior Girls, Junior Boys and Junior men.
Both the Junior Girls and Junior Womens team reached a strong 1st place, for a 2nd year running, beating the rest of the female Cadets from around the area off the top spot. Whilst the Boys teams fourght off stiff competition to reach a strong 4th place, which has been a massive improvement on recent years.
The different races the Cadets from Swadlincote found themselves competing in included: front crawl, back stroke, breast stroke, butterfly and an individual medley which involved swimming up to 4 lengths in the same race, one length of each stroke.
Swadlincote’s own, Cadet Warrant Officer Charlie Hughes, aged 19 years, Flight Sergeant Stuart Bagley, aged 18 years, Corporal Hannah Parker, aged 16 years, Cadet Isobel Hughes, aged 13 years and Cadet Chloe Laud aged 13 years, will soon be taking part in a 2nd swimming competition as they were lucky enough to be chosen to form part of the South and East Midlands area Air Cadet Swimming Team to represent cadets from around the area in a competition against even more air cadet units as far afield as Birmingham, Cambridge and Buckinghamshire.
As part of this achievement, the cadets will also receive a Wing Blue. A Wing Blue is a badge which is presented to each cadet who represents the South and East Midlands Area in any one of the main sports that are held throughout the year, which include Swimming, Hockey, Football, Rugby and Athletics.
Upon hearing the news that Swadlincotes Swimming Team reached a strong second place in the South and East Midlands Area competition, Flight Sergeant Stuart Bagley said: “It was a fantastic effort by all cadets, we get closer every year, and plan for a victory in 2014.”
1211 (Swadlincote) Squadron opens its doors four times a year to prospective new cadets, male and female aged between 13 – 17 years.For more information on joining the air cadet organisation in your area, please contact the Squadron Commander, Flight Lieutenant Alyn Thompson at oc.1211@aircadets.org or by phone on (01283) 212629