AN ASPIRING princess of the pool and her celebrity mentor both have their sights set on Athens this summer.

But while the Olympic hopes of GB swimming mainstay of the last generation, Mark Foster, rely on the outcome of an appeal to the sport's governing body, Laura Whitfield hopes her efforts in the water can seal a spot in the national squad for the Paralympic Games in Greece.

Foster, a four times Olympic contender and last year's World Championship 50-metre freestyle silver medallist, gave a coaching masterclass to 14-year-old Laura and swimming club friends at her school pool this week.

The "Train with a Personality" event was part of Laura's prize after being named The Northern Echo's Local Heroes Awards overall winner for 2003.

Judges were impressed at Laura's commitment to her sport, despite suffering the condition achondroplasia, also known as dwarfism.

Sponsor Orange backed up a £500 first prize with the chance to receive expert tuition from one of the country's leading figures in the sport.

Arguably Britain's best known male swimmer of his generation, Foster briefly shelved his bid to overturn his controversial omission from the GB squad for Athens' games, to travel to St Anthony's Girls' School in Sunderland to pass on some pearls of wisdom to Laura.

Thirty-three-year-old Foster is considering coaching as a possible follow-up to a glittering career in the pool over the shortest distance in international competition.

Since being spotted as an aspiring swimming talent as a ten-year-old in his home town of Southend-on-Sea by the mother of 1984 Olympic silver-medallist Sarah Hardcastle, Foster has put in a lifetime commitment to the sport.

It has seen him represent Britain in four Olympics, achieve seven world best times, and his career culminated in the silver at last summer's World Championships.

But having suffered an injured triceps in training five weeks ago his preparation for last week's Olympic trials were unduly hampered.

Despite winning his 50-metre freestyle event at Sheffield, Foster fell foul of the strict qualification rules imposed by British swimming supremo, Australian Bill Sweetenham.

He was 0.05 seconds short of the target time of 22.42, and having sought legal advice, has lodged an appeal against the selection policy in a desperate bid to swim in his fifth Olympiad.

Despite his qualification problems, he was happy to pass on the benefits of 17-years' of top-level competition to Laura and fellow elite members of the South Tyneside and South Sunderland swimming clubs.

The expert advice proved timely as Laura, of East Herrington, Sunderland, is honing her own preparation to make the British Paralympic team at the trials, also in Sheffield, next month.

Foster was duly impressed with his young charge for the day.

"Boy, can she swim?" was his reaction after the double training session at St Anthony's.

"I hope I've given her some useful advice on new training techniques. I hope it helps her to go to the Paralympics, if not this time, maybe in four years time."

Laura's grateful dad Dave agreed Beijing in 2008 is more realistic than Athens 2004 for his dedicated daughter, who trains seven times a week.

"It's probably more of an outside chance this time, at her age, but coaching from the likes of Mark Foster can only help."

Laura takes part in the S6 category of disabled swimming, and is an all-rounder, with a slight personal preference for the back-crawl.

Her efforts earned praise from Maureen Dixon, regional sponsorship manager for Local Heroes backer Orange.

"Laura epitomises everything that Local Heores stands for and fully deserves the recognition she has received as the Local Hero of 2003.

"This has been a great opportunity for Laura and her friends to learn from one of the UK's best swimmers."