Olympic gold medal hero Adam Peaty puts on swimming masterclass for Harrogate youngsters

Peaty, who won two gold medals and a silver for Team GB at this summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games, hosted a Race Clinic to help inspire the next generation of athletes looking to follow in his footsteps.

He said: “It means a lot to me to be able to inspire younger athletes as I know that when I was young, I always looked up to the elite swimmers at the time, and the positive impact I can have on them is so powerful.”

Held for swimmers aged eight to 17, Adam and his team provided the ultimate inspirational day, bringing together support for both athletes and parents to ensure they have the best experience possible on their swimming journey.

The sell-out event was one of ten taking place across the UK, and the only one in Yorkshire.

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Duncan Archer, Head of Swimming, Athletics and Sports Development at Ashville said: “Adam is a national hero, one of our greatest ever Olympians, and an inspiration for young swimmers keen to emulate his success.”

The Race Clinic featured three different stations, with the first one focusing on breaststroke technique, led by Adam himself and Edward Baxter, British swimming champion.

Station two was led by Robert Norman, Adam’s gym coach and focused heavily on injury prevention.

The final station was led by Tim Shuttleworth, who competed in the men’s 1500m freestyle event at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, who gave an insight into how to gain the mental edge necessary to compete successfully.

The aim of the Race Clinic was to “make it something that people had never seen before and do something that is often missed out in the swimming world - teaching young swimmers how to race.”

Anna Rakusen-Guy, Ashville’s Events and Lettings Manager said: “We are absolutely delighted that Adam and his team have chosen Ashville for one of their ten race clinics, and the only one in Yorkshire.

“Our sports facilities, which includes a heated 30m swimming pool, are used by a variety of different sports clubs and individuals throughout the year.

“Over the years, they have been home to a number of different sports camps, including the Andrew Flintoff Cricket Academy, the Louis Smith Gymnastics Academy, plus others coaching rugby, netball and hockey.”

Adam’s appearance at Ashville College comes just weeks after one of the biggest names in the world of ballet, Wayne Sleep, visited the school which hosted the Yorkshire Ballet Seminars.

The team behind Adam Peaty Race Clinics will be covering more than 1,500 miles in 10 days and with restrictions lifting just in time and clubs up and down the country looking for hope following 18-months of struggle, the tour will hopefully be a much needed boost for the swimming community.