Results and Medals

We kept ourselves busy, swimming 85 individual events and 13 relays. The team won 49 individual golds, ranging from 4 in the 20-24 group (Ava) up to 8 in the 65-69 group (Amanda), as well as 12 silvers and 6 bronzes. In the relays we took 2 golds, 5 silvers and 2 bronzes. 

Spencer finished a commendable 3rd in the overall table, behind Woking – who brought some spectacular swimmers – and Croydon Amphibians – who seemingly brought half of Croydon. 

Highlights

Whilst there were so many good swims across all our swimmers, some to call out included:

* Leo breaking the 2 minute barrier to win the 30-34 200m Freestyle in 1:58.80, and also swimming the 100m Fly, 100m IM and 200m IM. He wisely took the last session off after all that. 

* Alicia winning the 30-34 100m Fly in 1:12.96 after only joining Spencer 3 weeks ago. Imagine the times she’ll post once she’s been training for a whole month. 

* Amy, when she wasn’t breaking her cap just before her race started, picking up another impressive debut win in the 30-34 years breaststroke. 

* Luca winning gold in the 50-54 years 200m IM in 2:44.82. 

* Karl and Helen going neck and neck throughout in adjacent lanes in the 100m IM, with Helen just taking it at the end. 

* Jen, not being content with a hard day’s racing, was speeding off to camp overnight and swim the Seahorse on Sunday too. 

* Clive kindly taking the hit on pretty much all the Fly in the medleys, leaving us the more enjoyable strokes. 

So what makes the Surrey’s Championships good to get into racing?

Personally, I really enjoyed my first gala since 2001, and had been looking at the Surreys for a while for this reason.

* They’re really accessible and inclusive. There are no qualifying times, and no competitive swimming membership requirements. 

* The oldest swimmer was an inspiring 95 years old(!), and there was just a huge range of swimmers scoring points for their clubs at a really friendly, supportive event. 

* There are some amazing swimmers to watch, with 2 swimmers going 1:52 in the 200m Free and the 50m Free being won in 22.88. Many swimmers are at the other end of the performance scale, which makes it feel very inclusive for all abilities.

* Guildford’s pretty close to us (closer than Aberdeen) and lots of us gave lifts to teammates. The National Express goes to the door too and you might be able to get back for the evening Putney session at a push. 

* We were superbly organised by Luca (thank you!), who, in between his races, made sure all the relay teams were ready to go. Christine, when not racing, fed us with some delicious carrot cake she baked for the team. 

* It’s a great set up with a warm up/down pool as well as the racing pool. 

* Our training is geared for it in the weeks running up to the gala so you’ll definitely feel ready for it. 

So if it is something you’d like to consider, do have a chat as we’d love to take more people down next year!

Spencer Full Team

Annabel Barker, Clive Benson, Daniel Cotton, Helen Cumber, Joseph Dean, John Fitzgerald, Valentyna Foytlova, Barbara Halls, Amanda Heath, Clare Humphries, Jennifer Kelly, Christine Lutsch, Laura Mason, Alicia Merlino, Luca Milana, Leo Murison, Alan Parkins, Amy Powell, Ava Simpson, Karl Simpson and Mark Thompson

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A small but sparkling team from Spencer made the long journey to Aberdeen to compete in the GB Masters Championships, held on 12-14 June, with everyone bringing back medals.

The Mixed 240+ team consisting of John Fitzgerald on back, Amanda Heath on breast, Clive Benson on fly and Esther Iseppi on front crawl were victorious in the 4×50 and 4×100 medley teams and took silver in the 4×100 free.

We then won a further 5 gold, 5 silver and 7 bronze medals in the individual events as follows:

John Fitzgerald 50-54

Gold 50m back

Guy Emerson 60-64

Bronze 50m back, 100m back

8th 50m free

9th 100m free

Clive Benson – Male – 60-64 years

Bronze 100 fly

4th 50 fly

Suzanne Maidment 60-64

Bronze 100 breast, 200 breast

4th 100 free, 200 free, 800 free, 5th 400 free

Esther Iseppi 65-69

Silver 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM

Bronze 400 free

5th 50 breast

Amanda Heath 65-69

Gold 100 breast, 200 breast, 200 IM, 400 IM

Silver 400 free

Bronze 50 breast

The GB Masters alternates each year between England and Scotland/Wales – it was announced that next year’s venue will be Sunderland, 11-13 June.

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Spencer Swim Team will celebrate its 50th year next year, placing it among some of the most long-standing and prestigious masters swimming clubs in the UK. With a strong community of adult swimmers achieving success at regional, national, and international competitions, and the growing interest in all forms of adult swimming, we are experiencing membership growth.

Building on our coaching success

Spencer has already established a fantastic coaching team, with four coaches covering our seven scheduled sessions across the week. With over eighty regular swimmers, the club provides sessions for a wide cross-section of the masters swimming community.

Over the past year, the club has evolved its coaching structure to meet the demands of competition cycles. Our evolving structure has increased the popularity of many of our training sessions.

In response, the club is now seeking to recruit additional coaching experience. This appointment will support our expanding swim squad with development and performance.

Adding the right skills and experience

Spencer Swim Team seeks a passionate coach committed to improving masters swimmers to fulfil an open job role. The role will cover 1-2 sessions per week across our schedule.

An incoming coach must work with an existing team that has deep swim-coaching experience and knowledge. Our goal in appointing a new coach is to identify skills and experience that complement the current team. As a club, we’re interested in assistant coaches and those with more experience in planning and delivering training sessions for masters swimmers. Any new coach should be familiar with the principles of long-term development in adult fitness and performance. Experience of modern coaching approaches, including emerging research. Applicants must be at least a Level 1 Swim England Assistant Coach and preferably a Level 2 Swim England Swim Coach.

The coach must be local to our sessions across South London and able to access Dulwich, Forest Hill, Clapham, Tooting, and Putney.

Coaches interested in talking to us about joining the coaching team, can email us at spencerswimteam@gmail.com

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The Masters Swimmer’s Podcasts

Torpedo Swimtalk

Conversations at the heart of masters swimming

Torpedo Swimtalk has earned its place among the most beloved swimming podcasts in the masters swimming community. It brings warmth and genuine curiosity to every conversation, interviewing masters swimmers and coaches, elite age group competitors, and record holders from around the world. The show explores what keeps adult swimmers motivated across decades, how veterans approach periodisation and recovery differently from their younger counterparts, and the personal stories behind some of swimming’s most remarkable late-career performances. Episodes are accessible to swimmers of all levels, making it an ideal starting point if you are new to swim podcasts.

Pursue Potential Podcast

Unlocking the athlete mindset for lifelong competitors

The Pursue Potential Podcast takes a performance psychology lens to competitive swimming, examining the mental frameworks that allow athletes to keep improving well into their thirties, forties, fifties and beyond. Episodes draw on interviews with sports scientists, high-performance coaches, and masters athletes who have found ways to train smarter rather than simply harder. Topics range from goal setting, strength training, handling race-day nerves, to building sustainable training habits and bouncing back from injury. For the masters swimmer who wants to understand the ‘why’ behind their performance, this show offers genuinely actionable insight. Check out the excellent video content from these providers, Aquatic Sports Performance.

Freestyle Media

Swimming culture, stories, and the wider aquatic world

Freestyle Media takes a broader view of the sport, blending interviews, storytelling, and commentary that covers everything from grass-roots club culture to the upper reaches of competitive swimming. Masters athletes feature regularly, and the show does an excellent job of showing the continuum between recreational and elite participation. The production quality is high, the conversation is engaging, and episodes often surface perspectives from parts of the swimming world — open water, triathlon transition, para swimming — that do not always get airtime on more narrowly focused shows.

Unfiltered Waters

Honest, unscripted conversations about the sport we love

As the name suggests, Unfiltered Waters leans into candid, free-flowing discussion rather than tightly scripted interviews. The result is a show that feels like an honest conversation between passionate swimmers rather than a broadcast, which gives it an intimacy that fans appreciate. Topics range from training philosophy and meet preparation to the politics of the sport and the quirks of pool culture. Masters swimmers will recognise themselves in many of the discussions, and the lack of filter means opinions are genuinely expressed rather than carefully hedged.

Propulsion Swimming

Technical depth for the swimmer who wants to go faster

Propulsion Swimming is the show for the analytically minded masters athlete who wants to understand the mechanics of speed. Episodes dig into stroke technique, underwater work, starts and turns, and the biomechanics of efficient swimming with a level of detail that repays careful listening. Coaches and sports scientists appear alongside competitive swimmers, and the show does not shy away from complexity. If you have ever wanted a genuinely deep explanation of how to improve your distance per stroke or reduce drag through better body position, Propulsion Swimming delivers.

The Aqua Pod

Community, competition, and the joys of adult swimming

A podcast by Scottish Swimming, The Aqua Pod celebrates the community side of masters swimming as much as the competitive side. The show captures the camaraderie of swim clubs, the experience of training alongside people of wildly different ages and backgrounds, and the particular pleasure of a sport you can practise for a lifetime. Episodes feature a mix of competitive masters athletes and recreational swimmers, and the tone is inclusive and encouraging throughout. For anyone who wants a podcast that reminds them why they got into the water in the first place, The Aqua Pod delivers that with genuine affection for the sport.

Making the Most of Your Listening

The beauty of swimming podcasts is that they fit naturally into the rhythms of a training life. Long car journeys to swim meets, foam rolling sessions, early morning commutes before a dawn practice — all of these become opportunities to absorb coaching insights, hear from inspiring athletes, and deepen your connection to swimming.

Consider keeping a small notebook nearby when you listen to these swimmign podcasts. Masters swimmers are typically motivated, detail-oriented athletes, and you may find that a single observation from an interview — a cue for your catch, an idea about how to structure your taper, a mindset shift for approaching a target time — can have a meaningful impact on your training.

The swimming podcasts listed here vary in style, depth, and focus, which means there is something for every type of masters swimmer. Subscribe to a few, follow the ones that resonate, and enjoy the extra lane that swimming podcasts open up alongside the one you already occupy in the water.

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In the 65-69 category, Amanda Heath won golds in the 400 free, 50m, 100m & 200m breast and silver in the 400m IM.

Guy Emerson 60-64

50 back Gold 34.83

100 back Gold 1.19.18

Suzanne Maidment 60-64

100 free Silver 1.15.32

200 free Gold 2.45.67

400 free Silver 5.53.83 

100 breast Silver 1.39.12

200 breast Silver 3.37.29

Amanda Heath 65-69

50 breast Gold 43.22

100 breast Gold 1.33.12

200 breast Gold 3.19.17

400 free Gold 5.58.55

400 IM Silver 6.43.72

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The event kicked off with the Open Water Swimming, on Hudayirat Island, with perfect conditions and a water temperature of 21 degrees. Michael Read and Jamie McKay were competing in the 5k and won gold and silver respectively, while Tony Cherrington and Alan Parkins both won gold in the 2.5k and Amanda Heath took silver in the 1.5k.

On to the pool events, where everyone medalled in all their events, with some great swims.

Individual Race Results

Michael Read – 85+ age group

GOLD 5k, 400m, 800m free and 200m & 400m IM, SILVER 100m, 200m free

Tony Cherrington – 80+ age group

GOLD 2.5K 50m, 100m, 200m 400m free

Alan Parkins – 65+ age group

GOLD 2.5k, 50m, 100m back, 100m fly, SILVER 800m free, 200m back

Jamie McKay – 40+ age group

SILVER 5k

Ivan Nechunaev – 35+ age group

GOLD 50m free (lifetime best of 24.16), 50m fly, SILVER 100m free, 100m fly

Amanda Heath – 65+ age group

GOLD 200m breaststroke, 400m IM, SILVER 1.5k, 50m, 100m breaststroke, 200m IM

Esther Iseppi – 65+ age group

SILVER 100m fly, 200m breast

This was an amazing achievement for Esther, as she slipped and fell the evening before the pool events, badly injuring her wrist. 3 days later, she was able to race tentatively, starting in the water and having to work hard to catch the rest of the field. Sadly, she had to miss her other events.

The event presentation was extremely professional, with competitors announced individually as they walked out from the call room, and the medal presentations were highly choreographed.

Media Coverage

The media were keen to record stories from competitors, with Spencer swimmers featuring in some of the videos shared during the event and on social media. Check out some of the videos below by clicking the links.

Spencer Swimmer’s Stories (video)

Michael’s story

Esther’s story

Esther and Amanda’s story

The Masters Games are quite different from other International Masters swimming events, encouraging athletes of all abilities from around the world to unite in competition and friendship. The medals were truly stunning and the message on the medal box inspirational: “Wellness is the real victory”.

Read more about International Masters Games Events here:

https://www.imga.ch

Athletes are encouraged to participate in, watch and support other sports and one of the highlights was a trip to the camel race track (to spectate, not race!)

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For some, it was a chance to make their mark in their new age group, for others, it was a chance to dust off the cobwebs and make a line in the sand for the rest of the year, and for most, it was a chance to catch up with teammates and have some fun racing.

Firmly in the first category was Chris Dunn, who has aged up to the 80-84 age group – he certainly made his mark on the record books with World Records in the 200m and 400m freestyle, a European Record in the 800m freestyle (knocking nearly a minute off the old record, and narrowly missing the WR), plus British records in the 50m & 100m freestyle and 100 & 200 backstroke. In total, he won an amazing 9 gold medals! Chris’s results are as follows: 

Chris Dunn (80/84)

200m freestyle 2:38.32 – Gold, British, European & World record

100m freestyle 1:13.89 – Gold, British record

100m backstroke 1:29.19 – Gold, British record

50m freestyle 32.25 – Gold, British record

400m freestyle 5:42.79 – Gold, British, European & World record

800m freestyle 11:55.54 – Gold, British & European record

200m backstroke 3:11.53 – Gold, British record

50m butterfly 48.15 – Gold

50m breaststroke 50.58 – Gold

This inspiring performance by Chris pushed other Spencer swimmers to deliver the goods, too.

Jess Campbell made a speedy appearance on Saturday morning to sweep up a gold medal and Scottish record in the 55-59 women’s 800m freestyle in a time of 11.14.88.

Esther and Amanda were up to their usual tricks, entering the same events, and taking 1-2 in the 50m, 100m & 200m breast and 400m IM, with Amanda taking an additional gold in the 200m IM.

More Spencer 1-2’s came from Matthew Taylor and Simon Berrey in the 55-59 men’s 50m back and Robyn Le Friec and Katarina Read in the 35-39 women’s 50m fly. Matthew also took bronze in the 800m free and 4th place in the 200m, while Simon won the 200m back, adding silver in the 100m back and 4th place in the 100m free. Robyn made it a double gold with a win in the 100m fly and Kati won the 200m IM.

More Spencer medals came from Helen Cumber, who won gold in the 30-34 women’s 100m back, and silvers in the 50m and 100m free. It was silvers all round for Suzanne Maidment, who came 2nd in the 200m & 800m free, and 200m breast. Jen Kelly won silver in the 400m free and was 7th in the 50m free, while Luca Milana brought home bronze in the 200m IM.

Simon summed up the weekend “Aside from the record breakers, there were some mere mortals racing at Crawley this weekend, me included… Times not important, but I still managed a gold and 2 silvers. However, being an out of towner, the best of all was catching up with people I only see at meets like this.”

Full Results and times are in the following link:

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As a masters swimmer, that mindset is vital. Winning is always nice. Achieving PBs or setting records is a great reward. However, for most masters swimmers, success is better measured by consistency, health, enjoyment, and gradual improvement. Training in a balanced and methodical way, taking everything from every practice, is an extraordinary benefit of returning to competition.

Many masters swimmers competed as age-groupers or at university and return with a mix of positive memories, unfinished business, and occasional apprehension. But masters competitions are different. The vibe is far more relaxed and community-oriented. And while your teammates will root for you from poolside, the emphasis is on participation and self-challenge rather than comparison. You’ll only ever hear positive support.

The Practical Side of Competitive Swimming

To get back to competing, you’ll need to join a Masters club affiliated with your national governing body (e.g. Swim England). Clubs provide coached sessions, technique advice, and, most importantly, a community of swimmers who understand the challenges of masters swimming and can advise on the best meets and races to target.

You need to register with your national swimming federation, Swim England, as a Masters Category 2 member. The club typically handles this and can assist you. Once registered, you’ll have a membership or ID number, which allows you to enter licensed events. Clubs are usually the primary source of guidance on competitions and entry procedures.

Target Progress not Perfection

Many masters swimmers turn up at competitions after extensive breaks from racing – often after decades away. As a result, swimmers are far from the finished article, and that is entirely normal. Most competitors jump in and give it a go. Don’t judge yourself against the younger you.

Training for competition should be approached with patience. Many returning swimmers remember how they trained in their twenties and are tempted to jump straight back into high volumes or intense sets. This often leads to fatigue, injury, or loss of motivation. A more effective approach is to focus first on consistency and technique. Swimming two or three times per week, with a focus on efficiency, aerobic fitness, strength, and basic skills, will lay the foundation for speed later on. Improvements in stroke mechanics often deliver bigger gains than simply swimming more lengths, particularly as we get older.

Be Selective and Patient

When choosing your first competition, it pays to keep things simple. Speak to your fellow swimmers or coaches for some friendly advice. Local or regional Masters meets are ideal starting points – your club can advise. You do not always need recent race times to enter; many events accept estimated entry times, and heats are commonly seeded to allow swimmers of similar ability to race together. Once you have banked a few times, you can enter swim meets with more stringent entry criteria.

Selecting a small number of races that you enjoy and feel comfortable swimming in allows you to focus on the experience rather than the outcome. For many swimmers, the first meet back serves as a useful benchmark rather than a performance target and helps identify which events suit you best at this stage. Chances are, you’ll climb out of the water totally exhilarated and impatient to swim again.

Enjoy the process

Keep expectations realistic and flexible. Identifying the right races for your current abilities takes time, as does relearning race pacing and skills such as starts and turns. You’re on a new swimming journey, and what you swam as a younger person may not carry over to masters competitions. For some swimmers, podium finishes may be realistic. For many others, the early goals should centre on enjoyment, confidence, and producing performances you feel proud of. Progress accelerates once consistency is established.

The truth is, unless you try, you’ll never know. And that is the spirit of masters swimming. One further key piece of advice: bring good snacks.

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Spencer was represented by Ivan Nechunaev, who had a great meet, picking up 2 silvers and 2 bronzes in the 35-39 age group. The silvers came in the 100 IM in 57.45 and the 100 freestyle in 51.77, where a fabulous last 25 brought him within a quarter of a second of the gold. A time of 55.85 won 3rd place and a bronze medal in the 100 fly. The 50 sprints were hotly contested in all age groups, and Ivan’s second bronze came in the 50 free in a time of 23.34, just 0.12 behind the winner. He also took 6th place in the 50 fly in 25.31.

Alan Parkins, swimming for his home club, Crawley, won silver in the 65-69 100 back in a time of 1.14.55, and took 4th places in the 50 back, 50 fly and 50 free.

The next European Championships will be Long Course, 21-30 Aug 2026 in Šamorín, Slovakia, where there will also be Open Water events, to be swum  in a backwater of the Danube. The short course championships will return in 2027.

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Choosing one, however, can be a bit of a minefield. Here’s a few tips on how to find the right tech or race suit that suits your goals, body, and swimming style.

1. Be Clear About Why You’re Buying It

Masters swimmers race for many reasons — personal bests, podiums, qualifying times, team points, or simply the fun of competition. The frequency of your racing and the seriousness of your goals should guide your choice of race suit.

If you race a few times a year, one reliable, mid-range tech suit might be all you need. If you’re training and competing regularly at national or international masters meets, investing in a high-performance model could be worthwhile.

If you expect to be in medal contention and every tenth of a second counts, then the right tech suit might be what you need.

2. Fit Is Everything — But Comfort Matters Too

Tech suits are designed to be tight, sometimes very tight! However, there’s a fine balance between performance compression and comfort. As adults, we value a suit that feels supportive without cutting off circulation or requiring a 20 or 30-minute struggle to get on.

Look for a fit that:

• Offers firm compression but allows you to breathe normally.
• Feels snug around hips and thighs without digging in too much.
• For women, it gives full shoulder and hip mobility for your stroke.

If you’re between sizes, many masters swimmers prefer going up one size from what an elite junior might wear — the difference in performance is minimal, but the comfort and confidence are much higher. *It is worth getting guidance on sizing, because the sizing is different for a tech suit than your usual swimsuit.

3. Match the Suit to Your Stroke and Events

Not all suits are created equal. Some are built for explosive power; others for flexibility and comfort.

• Sprinters (50–100m events) often benefit from high-compression suits that provide muscle support and stability off the blocks and walls.
• Middle- and long-distance swimmers (200m+) might prefer a lighter, more flexible suit that allows more freedom of movement and sustained comfort.
• IM or breaststroke specialists should look for flexibility around hips and thighs to accommodate varied kick movement.

4. Don’t Be Fooled by the Hype

Arena, Speedo, TYR, Mizuno, Jaked — every brand has its loyal fans. But the best suit for you depends on your build and how you swim, not what the pros wear.

Masters swimmers come in all shapes and sizes, and different brands fit differently. Try before you buy if possible, and don’t be afraid to mix it up — many seasoned swimmers switch brands once they find a cut that fits their body comfortably and performs well.

Here is a website that offers advice on the best brands and models for your needs: https://www.theswimsuitguy.co.uk/which-tech-suit-should-i-buy

5. Consider Longevity and Value

Let’s face it — tech suits are expensive. In the UK, top-tier models can easily cost £300–£450, and they don’t last forever. Their compression and water-repellent coatings fade with use.

As a rule of thumb:

• Expect about 5–10 meets of peak performance.
• Rinse gently in cold water after racing.
• Air dry (never wring or tumble dry).
• Store flat, not folded or scrunched.

If you’re not racing every month, a mid-range suit may actually be a smarter investment — less expensive, longer-lasting, and still fast.

6. Prioritise Ease and Confidence

Masters swimming is as much about enjoyment as performance. Choose a suit that makes you feel fast, supported, and confident. If you’re comfortable in your suit, you’ll warm up and race better.

Remember: your suit should help you focus on your swim, not distract you from it.

7. Plan Ahead for Race Day

Don’t save your first wear for the championship final. Test your suit in training once or twice before your main event — just enough to know how it feels off the blocks and through turns. That way, you can avoid surprises on race day.

And give yourself plenty of time before your race to get it on. Tech suits take patience, especially if they’re dry!

In Summary

Buying a tech suit as a masters swimmer is about balancing performance with practicality. You want compression and hydrodynamics, but also comfort, durability, and confidence.

A great race suit won’t do the swimming for you, but it will help you feel sleek, supported, and ready to swim fast. Choose wisely, take care of it, and enjoy the feeling of being a pro!

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