A student from a Wakefield-based secondary school is celebrating after securing medals at both the English and Welsh National Championships this summer.

Tom Wooffindin, currently in Year 9 at Outwood Grange Academy, won a very respectable three gold medals at the Welsh National Championships in Swansea after victory in the 50m breaststroke, 100m breaststroke and 100m butterfly events. Just two days later, Tom then went on to expand his medal collection, earning a silver at the English National Championships after taking second place in the 200m butterfly.

The successes over the summer led to Tom being selected to represent Yorkshire at the Swim England National County Team Championships which were held on 2 October at Ponds Forge, Sheffield. The Yorkshire team finished in second place overall at the meet, with Tom taking first place in his 100m butterfly event; leading to being ranked as number 1 in his age group in Great Britain.

When asked about his success, Tom said:

“I spend 12 hours a week training, so to win events and earn some medals makes me really happy as it shows that the hard work and commitment really does pay off. Ultimately, it’s not about the recognition though, I really only do it because I enjoy it.”

After learning to swim at a young age, Tom started his competitive swimming career around the age of 9 and is a member of City of Wakefield Swimming Club. Looking to the future, Tom would like to start competing internationally, with dreams of representing England and Great Britain at elite global events such as the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

Andy Downing, Principal at Outwood Grange Academy, said:

“We are really proud of everything Tom has managed to achieve this year. He is a fantastic student who still maintains a commitment to his studies alongside his rigorous swimming training programme.

“At Outwood, we believe in putting students first and doing all we can to ensure we support them in fulfilling their potential. For us, this commitment goes far beyond the classroom and we look forward to seeing Tom’s successes in the future!”