Minns makes Beijing Bid

Allan Minns – Olympic Bid

Swindon Dolphin swimmer Allan Minns will be travelling to the 2008 British International Disability Swimming Championships next weekend, hoping that his hard work in the pool and good current form will enable him to achieve the level of performance required for selection for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.  Minns has significantly increased his training workload as he aims for qualification for the 2008 games and, as coach Steve Cryer says, “Allan is swimming very well in the lead up to the Championships and is showing exactly the kind of focus and level of commitment that is needed to succeed”.

Allan as a boy with Coach Tess Farr

Minns has spent the most part of his 23 years as a swimmer, starting at just 18 months old before joining Swindon Dolphin as a 5 year old.  This was shortly before the road accident near his Moredon home that resulted in him losing his arm.  Minns re-joined the club four years later and is now a regular competitor in the S8 category at major events, having already competed at the highest level in British swimming seven times.

Not only has Minns competed regularly, but he has achieved two bronze medals in each of the 2006 and 2007 National Championships, impressively collecting medals in three different strokes. Two of these medals came in Minns’ favourite event, the 50m freestyle, an event he will be swimming at Sheffield in addition to the 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke.  Although Minns prefers the freestyle events, he is no slouch at the backstroke where he achieved a third place finish in an event against able bodied swimmers last year in Manchester, to add to his bronze from the Nationals at Ponds Forge in 2006.

The final word goes to Minns, the 2007 Community Sport Champion, as he finishes his preparation.  “I will be doing my absolute best at the trials, but if it doesn’t work out this time I will be able to take what I learn from the experience and use that to be even better prepared when the trials for the London 2012 games come around”.

Source: Swindon Dolphin Press Team