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WSIS - West trio selected for Tri Nations event
West of Scotland Institute of Sport supported swimmers, Kirsty Hart (Largs), Corrie Scott (Strathaven) and Fraser Smith (East Kilbride) have been selected for the 18-strong Scotland team competing in this month's Celtic Tri Nations event, Edinburgh (15-17 February 2008).
The Celtic Tri Nations Championship was formed in 2006, to allow teams from Scotland, Wales and Ireland to compete against each other annually over a three year period.
Seventeen year old Kirsty Hart, a back crawler with Ren96 Swim Team, is hoping the competition will help her achieve the personal best times she needs to qualify for this October's Youth Commonwealth Games in India.
It's the first time I've been selected for it and it will be one of the biggest events I've competed in. I'll be swimming in the 100 metres back crawl and probably in the relay, she said.
I'm hoping to get a PB in the event. I need times for the Youth Commonwealth Games in October, which is my biggest goal for this year. For the 100 metres back crawl the qualification time is 1:05.03 and for the 200 it's 2:18.05.
The Scottish team has been primarily chosen from the country's senior 'Silver' squad. So it is a mark of her potential that 14 year old Corrie Scott, a member of East Kilbride Swimming Club, has been selected for the team from the younger age group of the Scotland youth 'Gold' squad.
I'm younger than most people in the event so it was a nice surprise to be selected, said Corrie, the younger sister of Douglas Scott, who just before Christmas broke the Scottish junior 100 metres breaststroke record set in 1984. Hopefully I will do well and get PBs.
The event will be the first international cap for 18 year old Fraser Smith, a first year medical student at Glasgow University and a member of the City of Glasgow Swim Team.
This is the first time I'll have represented Scotland so it's quite a thrill for me, he said. My event is the 1500 metres Freestyle, so that's hopefully what I'll be doing at the Tri Nations. My personal best is 16.28 at the moment and in the Tri Nations I hope to get close to the 16 minute mark.
All three athletes are supported by the West of Scotland Institute of Sport, which supports Scottish governing body-identified athletes by providing high performance expertise in the form of essential support services in sports medicine, sports science, strength and conditioning, and career and lifestyle guidance.
I make use of everything with the West Institute, said Hart, whose long term aim is to compete in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2012 Olympics.
I do Strength & Conditioning training at the Palace of Art, and I use the psychologist, physios and performance lifestyle advisers to help with my education; it's a huge help,
Gary VanderMeulen, husband and coach to former World No.1, Alison Sheppard, was recently appointed swimming Co-ordinator of the West of Scotland Institute of Sport.
This competition is established between Wales, Scotland and Ireland so we could have another international mid season competition to give swimmers the opportunity to sharpen their racing skills and compete against people that they wouldn't normally swim against, he said.
There aren't that many opportunities to swim for Scotland at international level, so this is a good event for team spirit and seeing how people cope with various stresses. It's a really good stepping stone.
Seventeen year old Kirsty Hart, a back crawler with Ren96 Swim Team, is hoping the competition will help her achieve the personal best times she needs to qualify for this October's Youth Commonwealth Games in India.
It's the first time I've been selected for it and it will be one of the biggest events I've competed in. I'll be swimming in the 100 metres back crawl and probably in the relay, she said.
I'm hoping to get a PB in the event. I need times for the Youth Commonwealth Games in October, which is my biggest goal for this year. For the 100 metres back crawl the qualification time is 1:05.03 and for the 200 it's 2:18.05.
The Scottish team has been primarily chosen from the country's senior 'Silver' squad. So it is a mark of her potential that 14 year old Corrie Scott, a member of East Kilbride Swimming Club, has been selected for the team from the younger age group of the Scotland youth 'Gold' squad.
I'm younger than most people in the event so it was a nice surprise to be selected, said Corrie, the younger sister of Douglas Scott, who just before Christmas broke the Scottish junior 100 metres breaststroke record set in 1984. Hopefully I will do well and get PBs.
The event will be the first international cap for 18 year old Fraser Smith, a first year medical student at Glasgow University and a member of the City of Glasgow Swim Team.
This is the first time I'll have represented Scotland so it's quite a thrill for me, he said. My event is the 1500 metres Freestyle, so that's hopefully what I'll be doing at the Tri Nations. My personal best is 16.28 at the moment and in the Tri Nations I hope to get close to the 16 minute mark.
All three athletes are supported by the West of Scotland Institute of Sport, which supports Scottish governing body-identified athletes by providing high performance expertise in the form of essential support services in sports medicine, sports science, strength and conditioning, and career and lifestyle guidance.
I make use of everything with the West Institute, said Hart, whose long term aim is to compete in the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2012 Olympics.
I do Strength & Conditioning training at the Palace of Art, and I use the psychologist, physios and performance lifestyle advisers to help with my education; it's a huge help,
Gary VanderMeulen, husband and coach to former World No.1, Alison Sheppard, was recently appointed swimming Co-ordinator of the West of Scotland Institute of Sport.
This competition is established between Wales, Scotland and Ireland so we could have another international mid season competition to give swimmers the opportunity to sharpen their racing skills and compete against people that they wouldn't normally swim against, he said.
There aren't that many opportunities to swim for Scotland at international level, so this is a good event for team spirit and seeing how people cope with various stresses. It's a really good stepping stone.