A YOUNG swimmer is stepping up to the rigours of elite level training after being selected for a national performance squad.

Darlington swimmer Harriet Rogers is taking part in intensive training camps in Northampton, swimming for more than 16 hours a week in eleven day bursts.

It comes after almost a year of disruption to training, with pool closures forcing the 16-year-old to turn to running, cycling and weight training to keep fit, as well as trying outdoor lake swimming for the first time.

She said: “In August the pools started to reopen but we had limited hours so I was only swimming four hours a week. I got up to eight hours at the end of September but then we had the second lockdown in November.

“That was the first time I went to Northampton and suddenly the training sessions were two and half hours long. It was a big step up."

She added: "Finding out I had made the junior squad and the performance squad gave me a lot of confidence in myself that I was swimming well and was on the right track with everything.

“I’m swimming with people who I thought were a good chunk in front of me and I’m keeping up."

She is currently preparing for a gala for elite swimmers in Manchester on February 11, which will be the first time she has competed in a year.

She added: “It’s given me a chance to focus on different things so in some ways I'm fitter and stronger. I'm probably in a better position than last year."

Currently, due to the national lockdown, only elite level athletes are allowed to train, with pools closed across the country.

It means clubs like Darlington, where Harriet has been a member since she was seven, are struggling, with many youngsters losing interest due to a lack of training and competitions.

Darlington Swimming Club has lost about 20 per cent of its membership since March, and there are fears many of those who have dropped out will not return to the sport.

Jane Teague, club secretary, said: “It’s very significant in terms of numbers of membership and that will have had a significant impact on finances.We don’t make a big profit in the year and the bulk of our money comes from members paying to train so having lost 20 per cent has a big knock-on effect."

She added: "Swimming is a fairly intensive sport.

"They’ve got to be putting in the hours. Taking a year out isn't great. We’ve lost youngsters earlier than we usually would, particularly those doing GCSEs because school is so difficult."

Fiona Douglas-Reeves said: "It’s almost like a lost generation. I can’t see even in the future when we’re going to see people like Harriet because we’ve lost the competition structure."

Harriet's family is hoping to secure sponsorship to help with the increased cost of training and competing. Any businesses interested should email simonrogers78@btinternet.com.