CHAMPION schoolgirl swimmer Darcy Harper has come up with a clever idea to ensure she can keep training throughout lockdown.
The 14-year-old Ripon Grammar School student, from outside Bedale, has competed in national championships with her school swimming team.
Unable to visit the pool during lockdown, she has been using a bungee cord whilst 'swimming' in a small home pool to keep up her training.
She said: “We bought a four-and-a-half metre pool, which was hard to get as they had almost sold out – we got the last one.
“It has been great for me to train in and help strengthen my ankle after a netball injury.”
Boarding student Darcy, who has qualified for Irish national championships as well as winning third and fourth place in county and Ulster championships, has been swimming in her rigged-up pool most days of the week, initially in a wetsuit until she can buy a heater to warm up the water.
She has also been running and cycling to stay fit.
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