Hythe Aqua Synchronised swimmers Hannah Bacon 14 and Jodie Cowie 11 were selected for the South East Junior Development Squad after a day of gruelling stamina and skill assessment tests. The course at Bradfield College, Reading, will cover a six month period ending in a 3 day residential programme. Kathryn Pounder, ex GB synchro swimmer and her team of top coaches and skill assessors will be putting 30 girls through their paces.

The course will cover dry land training, flexibility and aerobics. Dancing instructors will also improve the girl’s awareness to music and movement. A sports psychologist will also hold sessions throughout the course to help the girls set realistic goals both within and outside the sport.

On poolside a swimming coach will be developing the overall fitness and distance swimming of all the girls. Further into the course a professional diver will be coming in to help the girls improve their diving skills. The squad of 30 have been split into 3 teams of 10 and have been given a piece of music to which they have to choreograph their own routines. These will be displayed to an audience on the final day of training.

Both, Hannah and Jodie agree that it is a very intense and tiring days at Reading, but really enjoy all their different aspects of their training camp, and making friends with girls from other clubs.