In May and June 2011 we celebrated the achievements of special children who had been nominated by their swimming teachers to win an achiever of the year award. 

Winners were presented with a medal and a certificate along with a bag of prizes by Olympic Gold medallist Duncan Goodhew at two presentation ceremonies held at Testwood, near Southampton and Bewl Water, on the Kent/Sussex border.

Here are the stories of these remarkable children. Click on the names for more information:

1. Rebecca Landen
   • Rebecca Landen, 10,progressed through the ability groups and joined the rookie lifeguards scheme
2. Lillie Andrews
   • Lillie Andrews, nine, overcame a fear of water and approached her lessons with a positive attitude.
3. Owen Stevenson
   • Owen Stevenson, nine, achieved huge improvements in his technique and confidence
4. Abigail Turner
   • Abigail Turner, eight, showed great skill in learning to swim and mastered all strokes with determination.
5. Olivia Jarvis
   • Olivia Jarvis, nine, was scared of the water, but has made great progress due to her dedication.
6. Syakirah Mohammed-Stevens
   • Syakirah Mohammed-Stevens, six, was frightened at first, but gained confidence quickly.
7. Molly Fokinther
   • Molly Fokinther, eight, overcame partial deafness to improve her swimming technique
8. Myoli Millar
   • Myoli Millar, five, is often tearful before her lessons but improved immensely because of her efforts.
9. Marcus Richter
   • Marcus Richter, eight, was praised for being polite, punctual and willing to learn. He was a pleasure to teach.
10. Rebekah Lynas
    • Rebekah Lynas, 10, is a delightful student who gives her best. She now plans to swim competitively.
11. Abigail Lacey
    • Abigail Lacey, eight, has hearing problems, but is quick to learn and has broken club records.
12. Lydia Clarke
    • Lydia Clarke, 10, was praised for her consistent improvement and dedication in all areas.
13. Frankie Witty
    • Frankie Witty, six, broke his leg in a sledging accident and swimming helped his rehabilitation.
14. Joseph Foye
    • Joseph Foye, 11, was described as “a pleasure to teach” and praised for his positive attitude.
15. Charlotte Ryder
    • Charlotte Ryder, eight, was so frightened of the water she was scared of washing. Now she’s a good swimmer.
16. Ben Wilton
    • Ben Wilton, 13, was nervous about putting his face in the water, but overcame it through sheer determination.
17. Alfie Counsell
    • Alfie Counsell, six, has a partial paralysis of his leg, but he didn’t let it stop him from learning to swim.
18. Hannah Leworthy
    • Hannah Leworthy, 10, used to struggle with swimming, but persevered and improved greatly.
19. Aaron Lennard
    • Aaron Lennard, nine, enjoys swimming and advanced through the swim school through hard work.
20. Douggie Wilson
    • Douggie Wilson, nine, was a nervous swimmer at first, but improved greatly over the past year.
21. Laura Crangle
    • Laura Crangle, 10, has delayed speech and co-ordination, but worked hard to become a confident swimmer.
22. Bobby Stubberfield
    • Bobby Stubberfield, six, overcame the challenges of autism to become an accomplished swimmer.
23. Charlie Price
    • Charlie Price, seven, initially needed lots of encouragement to get in the water, but now he loves swimming.
24. Hannah Clarke
    • Hannah Clarke, five, has autism and managed to overcome a fear of the water to learn to swim.
25. David Tipper
    • David Tipper, five, was described as a pleasure to teach and complimented for his swimming skills.
26. Isabelle Simpson
    • Isabelle Simpson, eight, overcame a fear of putting her face in the water and is now a competent swimmer.
27. Paula-Lea Andrews
    • Paula-Lea Andrews, nine, made outstanding progress since starting as a non-swimmer.
28. Oliver Marlow
    • Oliver Marlow, eight, has a muscle weakening illness, but he didn’t let it stop him from swimming.
29. Nathan Harbour
    • Nathan Harbour, four, went from being a non-swimmer to swimming very confidently.
30. Liam Pearson-Bish
    • Liam Pearson-Bish, eight, progressed to the main pool and became a key member of the club.
31. Joshua Baker
    • Joshua Baker, seven, has Downs Syndrome and swimming helped strengthen his legs and confidence.
32. Oliver Davis
    • Oliver Davis, eight, was praised for being a hard-working swimmer who always tries his best.
33. Camryn Gibson
    • Camryn Gibson, five, was terrified of the water at first, but now is a happy and confident swimmer.
34. Blaise Levine
    • Blaise Levine, eight, was described as a lovely boy to teach and praised for working hard in lessons.
35. Gregory Long
    • Gregory Long, 10, has autism, but does not let that get in the way of his swimming, which he greatly enjoys.
36. Ophelia Dickison
    • Ophelia Dickison, nine, has Crohns disease, a symptom of which is joint pain. Swimming helps her to cope.
37. Kai Brown
    • Kai Brown, five, has low muscle tone in his legs and swimming has helped him with his physiotherapy.
38. Harry Munday
    • Harry Munday, 11, has autism and low muscle tone in his legs, which swimming helped strengthen.
39. Toby Lawson-McBrien
    • Toby Lawson-McBrien, six, swims well despite having a condition which meant he was born without knee caps.
40. Owen Hughes
    • Owen Hughes, eight, has brain damage after suffering from a tumour, but worked hard to learn to swim.
41. Mia Hulland-Banks
    • Mia Hulland-Banks, nine, was timid when she first started swimming, but is now a good swimmer.
42. Maxwell Bartlett
    • Maxwell Bartlett, six, was petrified of water, but after six months he was swimming happily and learning quickly.
43. Conor Guilfoyle
    • Conor Guilfoyle, 12, broke his thumb, but still managed to compete in a regional gala, coming second.
44. Tegan Ware
    • Tegan Ware, eight, was initially scared of the water, but her confidence has grown along with her skills.
45. Nicola Cranham
    • Nicola Cranham, eight, went from being a non-swimmer to being able to swim with ease in less than a year.
46. Leah Stebbing
    • Leah Stebbing, nine, was initially scared of getting water on her face, but is now an accomplished swimmer.
47. Leah Hamilton
    • Leah Hamilton, nine, has competed in galas against older children - and won. She's been a pleasure to teach.
48. Megan Beer
    • Megan Beer, eight, was nervous around water but overcame her fear through sheer determination.
49. Cydney Allcock
    • Cydney Allcock, 10, overcame her fear of deep water with perseverance and determination.