Fuerteventura 2020

A squad of 36 swimmers, 4 coaches and 2 team managers have just got back from another successful Warm Weather training camp in Fuerteventura. The team flew out on Monday 17th February from Stanstead Airport for a week of intensive training with the added benefit of some much needed winter sun!

After a hugely successful swim camp at Oasis Papagayo Sport Resort in Fuerteventura in February 2019, we decided that we would return again this year. The resort offers all the facilities in a self-contained resort, which gives peace of mind for the parents back home and makes the management of the swimmers much more efficient for the team managers and coaches. This gave the swimmers the best opportunity to get the most out of the week, with a 50m outdoor pool, excellent land training facilities, good accommodation and nutrition. This was all with the additional benefit of warm temperatures and sunshine, which certainly lifted their spirits and provided a much welcome break from the dark, cold and wet winter we have had this year.

Head Coach Jo John says "The benefit of the sunshine for both the swimmers and the coaches is clear, but the opportunity to focus on real intensive training for one week, without the distractions of normal home life, really helps the swimmers to improve in all areas. It also gave our younger competitive swimmers, who haven't experienced anything like this before, the chance to be away from home, parents, familiarity and the normal comforts that brings, to feel a little challenged, away from their comfort zones, more independent and provide them with some excellent life skills"

The age range of the swimmers who attended was 11 to 18 yrs of age, but this did not effect a really good team ethos, with all the swimmers working really well together, in and out of the pool and encouraging each other in all areas of the camp. The swimmers were placed into four team with allocated team and deputy leaders. Points were awarded to individuals and teams throughout the week for application of skills, attitude to training, helping others and other positive things, which encouraged healthy competition throughout the week.

The camp consisted of eleven, two hour training sessions in the pool, with at least twenty minutes of pre and post pool workouts at each of those. There was five land training sessions with five education workshops as well as regular team meetings.

It wasn't all hard work though and the swimmers had the opportunity for an afternoon off in the middle of the week, which meant a couple of hours of crazy golf, followed by a trip to the beach and a visit to the ice cream parlour on the way back!

The staff were all pleased with a successful camp and felt that all the goals that they set were met.

Here are some more of the photos from their week away.