Above: Year 10 Pupil and Talented Swimmer, Adrian Reay
Year 10 pupil Adrian Reay, a promising young swimmer, has taken a significant step toward his Olympic aspirations after being selected to train with the Swim England Age Group Programme.
At just 14 years old, Adrian has already established himself as a versatile and dedicated swimmer, specialising in breaststroke and excelling in the individual medley (I.M.). Having trained for the past seven years with the Newcastle Swim Team at Byker’s East End Pool and in Gosforth, Adrian is thrilled about the new opportunities that come with being selected for the Swim England Age Group Programme.
“I’m so excited to be part of the Swim England Age Group Programme,” said Adrian. “This is a great chance for me to take my training to the next level and be coached by swim England’s top coaches. My swimming hero is Michael Phelps—he’s an amazing all-rounder, like I’m striving to be - and I hope to follow in his footsteps by representing my country at the Olympics one day!”
Next up for Adrian is a training camp in Huddersfield with the Swim England Age Group Programme, followed by participation in national competitions.
Adrian has just competed in the North East regional championships in Sheffield's Ponds Forge, where he took 2 bronze medals and 1 silver, as well as securing a qualifying time to compete in the upcoming Scottish Nationals in December.
In addition to his swimming commitments, Adrian is balancing ten training sessions a week—totalling around 16 hours in the pool—while also studying for his GCSEs at Dame Allan’s Schools in Fenham. When he’s not swimming, Adrian enjoys karting with his school’s club.
Will Scott, Principal of Dame Allan’s Schools, commented on Adrian’s impressive achievements: “Adrian embodies the resilience, ambition, and maturity that we hold dear at Dame Allan’s. Balancing such an intensive training schedule with his academic work is no easy feat. We’re incredibly proud of him and wish him all the best as he continues his journey—one day, we hope to see him standing on that Olympic podium!”