TWO Kelly College swimmers did West Devon proud when they helped Britain to gold in the 2009 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Rio de Janiero, Brazil this week.
Lauren Steadman and Louise Watkin, both aged 17, were part of the four women GB disability team who not only won gold in the final of the women's 4x100m freestyle 34 point relay, but they also smashed the existing world record in the short course 25m pool. The Kelly pair, along with team-mates Stephanie Millward and Eleanor Simmonds, took gold in 4mins 26.20secs beating USA in silver and Australia in third.
Robin Brew, the director of swimming at Kelly College, is delighted with the pair. He told the Times: 'Both Lauren and Louise's contribution to the British team has been fantastic. Lauren knocked off three seconds off her personal best in the 100 metres which is huge. This world record time by the team has just been waiting to happen. We had targeted this event at the beginning of the year in which to excel.'
Both swimmers enjoyed success at the IPC Swimming European Championships at Iceland in October, when Louise won five gold medals and Lauren came home with two more medals. They were part of the British team there who set a world record there in the 50metre long course.
Robin added: 'The Kelly swimming squad have all been working hard for a long time and have quite a few swimmers on our programme aiming for the Commonweath Games (in Delhi, India) next year and potentially four of our swimmers could be selected.
'As a coach it is exciting to be part of a programme that is working to achieve these standards.'