Lauren carries off top Sports Award for her swimming success

PRESS RELEASE - HUNTINGDON PIRANHAS SWIMMING CLUB

5 November 2007

Huntingdon Piranhas swimmer, Lauren Steadman at just 14 has won a major sports award. Lauren won the Sport Performer with a Disability Award in the Living Sport Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Sports Awards 2007.

Lauren from Sawtry was nominated by the Piranhas and won the award for her hard work, her dedication to swimming and her success at regional, national and international level over the last year.

Lauren's disability is that she has a prosthetic right arm but this has not held her back. Lauren joined the Piranhas in June 2005 and steadily increased her hours of swim training.

She started competitive swimming early in 2006 carrying off gold medals in all of the eight events she took part in at an Eastern Region Disabled Swimming meet held in Lowestoft . She then took part in the National Junior Disability Sport Event Swimming Championships held in Ponds Forge in Sheffield , finishing in the top four of her five events.

Lauren is now part of the British Swimming World Class Athletics Development programme. Her hard work and dedication rewarded her with a call-up to the GB squad earlier this year. She took part in the Danish open in Esbjerg for swimmers with a disability and collected a gold medal in the 50m backstroke, four silver and two bronze medals. Lauren was also selected to represent the Eastern Region in the UK Schools Games hosted in Coventry . She won all three of her races, in the process setting two new UK Schools Games records.

Piranhas Head Coach, John Richards was delighted for Lauren. "Lauren's ability was very evident from the minute she joined the Piranhas. This award is a true reflection of all the hard work and training that Lauren has put in over the last two years. We were very pleased when Lauren won a top scholarship to the renowned Kelly College in Devon . She started on a strict training programme in September and during her school breaks comes back to train with the Piranhas."

As well as a trophy Lauren also won a £100 grant towards her development and sports kit.

Lauren is pictured receiving her award at the Celebration of Sport evening, from top athlete Goldie Sayers, who set a new UK javelin record this year.