The final North East Regional Para Swimming camp of the season took place on Sunday 22nd March 2026 at Catterick Leisure Centre, bringing together 24 athletes from across the region for a day of learning, challenge, and development.
The day began with a land-based training session, where swimmers completed a structured pre-pool warm-up before diving into the camp’s central theme: improving CO₂ tolerance. Athletes selected a series of three exercises designed to be completed at home, focusing on working to fixed time intervals rather than high repetition counts, and crucially, exercising on exhaled lungs. This approach helps develop greater tolerance to carbon dioxide, a key factor in enhancing underwater phases and breathing efficiency in the pool.
Following the land session, swimmers moved into the classroom for an insightful workshop delivered by Breath Coach Steffy Cappleman from Limitless. The session began with athletes calculating their BOLT (Body Oxygen Level Test) score, providing a benchmark for their current CO₂ tolerance. Swimmers were then guided through understanding the sensation of “breath hunger,” building awareness that would support their training. The session concluded with athletes performing one of their selected exercises and recording their repetitions over a two-minute period—giving them a clear and measurable way to track progress moving forward.
The practical application continued in the pool, where swimmers took part in reduced breathing exercises, reinforcing the day’s learning and helping to translate theory into performance.
The camp also provided valuable opportunities for reflection and future planning. Coaches and athletes contributed ideas for next season’s camps, including suggested topics and guest speakers, ensuring the programme continues to evolve and meet the needs of the region’s para swimmers.
As a North East Regional asset, these camps play a vital role in supporting athlete development, and it was particularly encouraging to welcome some new faces to the programme, including Jacob from Borocuda and Ruby from Middlesbrough. It was also fantastic to see a strong turnout of coaches from clubs across the region, all keen to expand their knowledge of para swimming and explore ways to better support athletes on their journey.
The day was both demanding and rewarding, packed with learning and plenty for swimmers to take away and build upon. A huge thank you goes to the coaching team—Keith, Kylah, Zoe, Sue, Alyson and Ben—as well as visiting coaches Dean, Adrian, Anna and Paul for their expertise and support throughout the day. A special thank you must also go to Team Manager Chris, whose dedication across this camp and the previous camps this season has been invaluable. Her support behind the scenes plays a crucial role in ensuring the smooth delivery of the programme.
Finally, sincere thanks to Swim England North East for their continued support of the programme and commitment to developing para swimming across the region.
We hope all swimmers enjoyed this camp and the series as a whole, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back next season.
