Abbie Wood Academy Launch

Olympic hopeful Abbie Wood returned home this week to launch a new initiative at Buxton Swimming Club in her name.

The Abbie Wood Academy has been created by the club to ensure young swimmers making their first steps into competitive swimming have the key fundamentals of racing embedded early on.

Wood, a multiple junior medalist on the international scene has gone on to represent Team GB and England across the world, started at the Buxton pool.

“I started my swimming journey here at Buxton pool and the town’s swimming club” Abbie told the younger swimmers.

Her list of honours include 400m individual medley gold, 200m individual medley bronze and 4x100m medley relay bronze at the 2015 European Games in Baku and competing at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia.

The new academy’s head coach Liam McWee said: “Getting Abbie involved in our new academy is fantastic and it’s great to welcome her back in such a key season in the build up to next summer’s Olympics. Abbie’s skill level is so high and I’m sure our younger swimmers will be inspired by her.”

Wood is scheduled to return during the autumn term to spend time coaching and demonstrating techniques to the academy swimmers.

Richie Ralph, chairman of Buxton Swimming Club, added “We are so pleased to have Abbie involved in the club’s new section – and even more pleased when she agreed to us naming it The Abbie Wood Academy”.

With the new race season on the horizon, the club is encouraging new swimmers to sign up. Interested in joining the academy? Email membership@buxtonswimmingclub.co.uk