A group of talented artistic swimmers are gearing up to face a prestigious competition as they head down to the London Aquatics Centre.

Denton Artistic Swimming Club was founded in 2018 and has gone from strength to strength, doubling in size in the last year. Boasting members of all ages, the club trains athletes from a range of backgrounds.

An incredibly demanding sport, the swimmers train between 2-5 hours a week covering all kinds of activity.

From land training to flexibility work, the team use a range of skills to perfect their trade.

Sue Talbot, committee member and mother of 9-year-old Poppy who trains with the team, says her daughter loves artistic swimming.

“Poppy does all kinds of sports such as dancing and gymnastics, but artistic swimming is her favourite, she loves this team.

“There are a lot of skills needed for this sport, you’ve got to have good fitness levels, be a strong swimmer and have the strength needed to carry out the techniques,” she says.

Now, the team will face their biggest challenge yet, competing at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

This venue, built specifically for the London 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics, hosts some of the best of the best and will now welcome the Denton team for the Combo Cup.

For most of the team, this will be their first competition after only starting at the club in the summer of last year.

Some of the youngest members are aged just 8 and are beyond excited to head to London and show off their talent during this mass scale event.

The team are set to head down to London on Friday (1 July) in order to compete on the Saturday (2 July). Swimmers will have to be at the centre for 7:30am on Saturday, making for a long day of sport.

To give these young people the opportunity of a lifetime, the club will have to spend huge amounts in travel costs, overnight stay and competition fees. They are appealing for anyone who can help, to support them in giving the children this grand opportunity.

Anyone who would like to donate to the club can do so by contacting headcoach.dssc@gmail.com.

The team have gone to great lengths to prepare for this event, perfecting their technique to put on an amazing aqua performance.

They now can’t wait to head to London , work hard and enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

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