The Northumberland and Durham Swimming Association Swimming Camp opened its doors at precisely 9:45a.m. on Saturday 16th May, and the fun started! With only one thing on their minds—the pool—bags bounced, goggles were quickly adjusted, and swimmers hurried through registration while being greeted by our wonderful team managers, Marianne Clarke (Guisborough) and Beth Attwood (BOSSS).

Within minutes, coaches were leading a warm-up before the sound of splashing water echoed around the venue as lanes filled with determined swimmers ready to dive into an action-packed day. Swimmers were fortunate to benefit from the expert instruction of Lead Coach: Lindsay Kinlen (South Tyneside) supported by Jay Manners (Derwentside and Gateshead), Lizzie Ryan (Teesdale Tiger Sharks), Phil Horner (Eston), Ian Dale (North Tyneside), Mason Jacques (Chester-Le-Street), and Andrew Young (Guisborough) From powerful starts to perfectly timed turns, every swimmer was eager to make a splash and learn something new.

But the excitement wasn’t only happening in the pool.

While the swimmers got straight into the action, parents gathered for a special workshop led by Gordon MacLelland, founder of Working With Parents in Sport. With more than 25 years of experience in education and coaching, Gordon delivered an inspiring and thought-provoking session about navigating the important role of being a parent of an athlete.

Parents listened, laughed, reflected, and shared experiences as Gordon explored the highs, challenges, and incredible impact parents can have on a young athlete’s journey. His message was clear: supporting young swimmers is about much more than medals and stopwatch times — it’s about encouragement, communication, resilience, and creating positive sporting experiences.

As the workshop wrapped up, parents left feeling motivated and empowered, while out on poolside the swimmers continued powering through drills, and working on technique with huge smiles and unstoppable enthusiasm.

The camp was already off to a flying start — full of learning, teamwork, inspiration, and plenty of N&D swimming spirit!

Next came everyone’s favourite moment of the day — lunch time! The atmosphere buzzed with laughter and conversation as swimmers from clubs across the county came together to relax, refuel, and make new friends. Poolside rivalries were temporarily forgotten as athletes swapped stories, compared training routines, and shared plenty of laughs over lunch. It was a fantastic opportunity for swimmers to socialise and build friendships beyond their own clubs, strengthening the incredible community spirit that makes the Northumberland and Durham Swimming Association so special.

While the swimmers enjoyed some well-earned downtime, the coaches took part in their own workshop with Gordon MacLelland. Drawing on his extensive experience in education and coaching, Gordon delivered another engaging session filled with practical advice, fresh perspectives, and plenty of inspiration for coaches working with young athletes and families.

After lunch, energy levels rocketed back up as Nathan Alford from Sunderland ASC led a high-impact, targeted strength and conditioning session. The room was packed with determination as swimmers powered through explosive exercises, balance work, agility drills, and core challenges designed specifically to enhance swimming performance. There was no shortage of effort, enthusiasm, or competitive spirit as athletes pushed themselves to the limit.

Then it was straight back to the pool for precision-focused work on Individual Medley turns and transitions. Coaches worked closely with swimmers on the fine details that can make all the difference in racing — sharp turns, smooth transitions, fast underwater work, and perfect timing between strokes. Every lap brought more focus, more improvement, and more determination.

To keep everyone fuelled throughout the action-packed day, water and snacks were kindly donated by Tesco, helping swimmers, coaches, and volunteers stay energised from start to finish.