Billingham competed at the Wear Valley Graded Swimming Gala held at Bishop Auckland at the weekend.

All competitors enjoyed the day picking up seven golds, four silvers and one bronze with five competitors just missing out on a medal in fourth place, three in fifth and four in sixth. All swimmers swam brilliantly out of 91 swims 62 personal bests were achieved. Three speeding tickets were picked up, whereby the swimmer swam faster than a cut off time.

In the nine and under Category Stephanie Blakeburn swam superbly to achieve gold in the 50m back, 100m free, 50m fly and 50m free. Catherine Goodman was sixth in the 50m free and swam the 50m back. In the boys Benjamin Raper was sixth in the 100m free his other swims being 50m free and 50m back.

In the 10/11 category Gareth Allen finished fifth in the 100m fly his other swims being 50m fly, 50m free and 100m free. Emma Shepherd swam 50m breast, 50m back, 100m free and 50m free. Harriet Goodman the 50 breast, 100m free, 50m fly and 50m free. Helen Dobson the 50 breast, 50 fly and 50 free.

In the boys 12/13 category Bradley Dixon was outstanding picking up two speeding tickets in the 100m back and 100m fly. He gained a gold in the 100m free and silver in the 50m free and 50m back. Anthony Brown was fifth in the 100m back his other swims being 50m free, 50m breast and 100m free. Luke Hedley swam the 50m free, 50m back and 100m free.

In the girls 12/13 category Pippa Shepherd just missed out on a medal coming 4th in the 50m back and 6th in the 100m breast and 100m back, her other swims were 50m free and 100m free. Charlotte Brown swam 50m breast, 50m back, 100m free, 100m breast and 50m free. Stephanie Hughes the 50m breast, 100m back and 50m free. Jessica Trewin swam 50m breast, 5om back, 100m free, 100m breast, 50m fly, 100m back and 50m free.