November 2017
Paralympian Chloe Davies swims to victory at national championships
Read time: approx 1 mins
Sports Therapy student Chloe Davies put in an outstanding performance at this years’ British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Short Course Swimming Championships, winning every event she entered and landing the ‘Top Girl’ trophy for overall achievement.
The competition, held at Ponds Forge International Pool in Sheffield, attracted 49 university entrants in which UCB was placed overall 19th – despite the fact Chloe was the University’s sole representative.
Chloe, who has a disability and entered all of the championship’s events for para-swimmers, earned a clean sweep of gold medals for races including the 200m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 100m breaststroke.
“It was great to be back in the pool after taking a short break to focus on my studies,” said Chloe, who has been a competitive swimmer from the age of nine.
“I was the youngest member of the Para GB squad at the 2012 London Olympics. Having swum for both England and Wales, I am now on the National Elite Welsh programme.
“As a qualified swimming coach, it’s great doing competitions like this as it inspires the next generation. After having a 10-month break, I am so glad to be training again.”
Swimming is one of the most popular sports within the BUCS, a national governing body dedicated to promoting and improving sports at UK universities. Its Short Course championships are the first of a calendar of events putting universities head-to-head to prime some of the country’s most promising young swimmers for entry into the Commonwealth, Paralympic and Olympic games.
Chloe is a recipient of UCB’s Sporting Excellence Scholarship, which awards students up to £1,000 off their tuition fees for each year of their course, and received financial and logistical support from the University’s Guild of Students to enter the championship. Guild Manager Ellen Kemp congratulated Chloe on her “brilliant” victory.