It is traditional for children to attempt a distance badge on the final day of a crash course and Easter was no exception. All the classes were full and the swimmers were excited and nervous as they received their briefing… swim slowly, use nice strokes, swim up the lane etc.

One by one they slipped in and stared their own mini marathons. Unseen by the teachers, one child set off slowly on breaststroke. “ Who sent Harriet off?” they asked “ What badge is she doing?”

The records were checked, little Harriet Killen (6) had already achieved 2000m (80 lengths), Water Skills 5, Personal Survival 2 and bronze challenge. The next distance badge was 3000m, 120 lengths, nearly 2 miles. “Surely she can't be trying 3000m.”

One hour forty five minutes later, still smiling, Harriet rang the bell and jumped back in the pool for playtime.

Harriet is this weeks “Star Swimmer”