News

Kintyre Amateur Swimming Club – 1st Club Championships

SUNDAY 18th NOVEMBER 2007 from 2pm to 5pm in Aqualibrium

 

Scottish Schools Swimming Association

Team Championships for Secondary Schools

On Friday 8th June a group of swimmers will travel to Tollcross Pool in Glasgow to compete in the above competition.

Open Freestyle Relay                    S3/4 Freestyle Relay

Christopher Smith                             Paul Smith

Alex Pajak                                          Craig Nelson

Robert Scally                                     Michael Smith

George Cowan                                  William Cowan

We wish both teams best of luck in this competition.

Argyll & Bute Area Scottish School Championships – Trials

On Sunday 26th November swimmers from schools across Argyll and Bute competed in the Scottish Schools Swimming Trials held in Aqualibrium. This was the first time this new facility has been used to host such a competitive swimming event.

The swimming programme had over 40 events swum on the day ranging from 50 metres events for 12 years and under through to 400 metres freestyle for 17-19 years.

All of the visiting swimmers were very impressed with the facilities and set up here in Aqualibrium in particular with the Daktronics electronic timing system which was up and running for the first time to accurately record the swimmers times on the electronic scoreboard as soon as they finished their event.

         

A number of swimmers successfully met the consideration times to swim in the Scottish Schools Championships next year. Matthew Anderson from St Columba’s Primary School had an excellent meet achieving the consideration times over 50 metres in the 12 years and under age group in butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. Eilidh Muir from Oban High School had success in the 13/14 years 100 metres backstroke and frontcrawl as well as the 200 metres individual medley. With a consideration time of 1.17 in the 100 metres 17-19 years butterfly David Robertson of Dunoon Grammar recorded an impressive 1.07.69 and swim of the day went to Chris Ritchie of Dunoon Grammar in the 13/14 years 200 metres breaststroke with a consideration time of 3 minutes 20 seconds Chris recorded a time of 3.04.36.

Campbeltown Grammar School was represented with a small group of swimmers from our club and all enjoyed the experience of competing in our home pool alongside swimmers at this level.

 

        

 

The day ended with Marius Huysamer, manager of Aqualibrium presenting medals to all the successful swimmers on poolside.

 


 

Club triplets in the swim for Scotland

Triplets Christopher, Michael and Paul Smith from Pennyseorach Farm, Southend, all members of the swimming club, travelled south to Sandhurst Military Academy to represent Scotland in the Army Cadets national swimming competition.

The 14-year-olds were representing the Army Cadet Force Association where all the top swimmers in Scotland were invited to compete against Wales, England and Northern Ireland for places in the tri-national competition held in Portsmouth in November where they compete against cadets from other services.

Their parents Terry and Linda are very proud of their sons’ achievements in all the competitions that have lead to this point; all three competed in the Scottish Nationals for the Army Cadets at Tollcross where there was many medals won and brought back to Campbeltown.

The triplets will each receive their national colours for representing their country and Chris was selected to represent the Army Cadet Force. There is also a good chance that Michael and Paul will be called up but they won’t have their places confirmed until later this month.

Paul competed in the breast stroke; Michael in the relay team and Chris in the butterfly, front crawl and relay team.

Well Done! To all three boys who train with the top training squad in the swimming club.

 

Swimming Club Holds Successful Trials                    

The recent swim trials organised by the newly reformed Kintyre Amateur Swimming Club were a huge success with over 60 swimmers with over 60 swimmers aged 8 to 17 years attending the trials.

 

Swimmers on trial at Aqualibrium

 

 

Aqualibrium Opened by First Minister

First Minister, Jack McConnell flew into Campbeltown on Friday 16 June to perform the official opening ceremony for Aqualibrium, the town’s brand new state of the art swimming pool, library and leisure complex.

Over 100 people, many of them from Campbeltown and representing user groups, gathered to watch Mr McConnell and local schoolgirl, Caitlin Ronald, cut the ribbon and declare the building open. Caitlin won the “Name the Building” competition when she dreamed up the name “Aqualibrium”.

 

 

The First Minister said, “This is a fantastic new facility. It is exactly what a community like this needs. It will help encourage people to stay in the area, and will help everybody in the local community to be fitter and healthier. It will also attract visitors to the area.” He continued, “It is top quality. I am very impressed that those who have designed and funded it have gone for the very best and not gone for second best, and it is very important for this area to a signal that this is the level of ambition.”

 

 

Councillor Allan Macaskill, Leader of Argyll and Bute Council, the main funders who commissioned and will operate the building, said, “This is a red letter day for Campbeltown. “This building is something special. Not only does it look good with its distinctive design, but also the facilities are first class. The pool and the fitness suite, the library and the bistro are set to become a central focus for community life in Campbeltown as well as offering new opportunities for adopting a healthy, balanced lifestyle. “Visitors too will benefit, whether they want to take part in activities or just enjoy a cup of coffee and good food in pleasant surroundings and with a beautiful view” .

The £7.5 million building replaces the old Campbeltown pool which closed over six years ago for safety reasons. It houses Campbeltown library, gym, meeting rooms and the Mussel Ebb bistro. Aqualibrium will be fully open to the public during the first week of July, following a series of open days when people can explore the facilities, book induction sessions and join up as members.

The project was funded by a partnership of Argyll and Bute Council, sportscotland, ERDF, the Big Lottery and Argyll and the Islands Enterprise. Its energy efficient woodchip burning boiler system was supported by the Highlands and Islands Community Energy Company. Julia Bracewell OBE, Chair of sportscotland said: “We are delighted to have supported the Campbeltown Community Project with an award of £700,000 from sportscotland’s Sports Facilities Programme. The new pool and gym is much needed facility in the area and will see the development of new clubs and groups, as well as increasing the sporting opportunities available to the people of Campbeltown and the surrounding areas. “In addition this award also demonstrates our commitment to enhancing sporting opportunities for local communities, by providing them with quality, accessible and well-designed facilities encouraging them to participate, develop and excel in sport.”

Big Lottery Fund Scotland Director Dharmendra Kanani said: "We are proud to have worked in partnership with Argyll and Bute Council to create this innovative and exciting new facility. Aqualibrium is a wonderful example of what can be achieved when communities work together to create inclusive facilities for everyone to enjoy. I am sure that the centre will bring many healthy benefits to local people while helping them to developing their natural talents and abilities." Ken Abernethy from Argyll and the Islands Enterprise added, “Aqualibrium is a magnificent asset for the area and is another important milestone in the emergence of a renewed and succeeding Kintyre.”