Secretary of State Andy Burnham has announced the winner of the Swim4Life competition to invent a new swimming stroke. 

The ‘Dolphinella’ stroke invented by Ella Batchelor, aged 11, from Essex, was chosen from more than 300 new ways to swim invented by children up and down the country as part of Swim4Life, the latest part of the groundbreaking national Change4Life movement.

Andy Burnham said “We had an overwhelming response to our Swim4Life competition that asked kids to invent a brand new swimming stroke.  Ella’s swimming stroke was inspired by her love of dolphins. To swim the Dolphinella, clasp your hands together, put your arms out in front of you and kick your legs together like a fin.

“Swimming is a brilliant way for everybody to get active and for kids to get their 60 active minutes a day – they can burn off energy without even really noticing. It’s great for older adults and those with mobility problems as well.”

ASA Chief Executive David Sparkes said: “The ASA is delighted that so many young people entered the competition and had the imagination to come up with some really innovative and inspiring ideas.

“The ASA uses fun and games to take children from their first splash to full competence in the water and the Dolphinella stroke will give swimming teachers another option when running swimming lessons, especially as it could introduce swimmers to the Butterfly swimming stroke.”

Swim4Life aims to help more families get active in the water, building on the success of schemes such as the Government’s Free Swim initiative, which launched in April this year. For more information click here.

To view the new stroke CLICK HERE

-ENDS-

For more information contact the ASA PR Officer Claire Freeman on 01509 632265 or email claire.freeman@swimming.org

About the ASA
The ASA is the English National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water and Synchronised Swimming. It organises competition throughout England, establishes the Laws of the Sport and operates comprehensive certification and education programmes for Teachers, Coaches and Officials as well as its renowned Learn to Swim Awards scheme. The ASA supports 1,220 affiliated swimming clubs through a National/Regional/County structure. The ASA aims to ensure everybody has an opportunity to learn to swim.

About Kellogg’s
The Kellogg Company was founded in 1906 and today produces 40 different cereals including popular brands such as Special K, Cornflakes and Coco Pops, and 56 different snacks including brands such as Nutri-Grain and Special K snacks. Kellogg’s has been a partner of the ASA and British Swimming for 13 years, sponsoring the Kellogg’s ASA Awards and enabling over 50,000 people to take up swimming as part of an active lifestyle.

About British Gas
British Gas, the biggest energy supplier in the country, has the lowest carbon intensity of any of the major UK energy suppliers in terms of tonnes of CO2 emitted per megawatt hour of electricity supplied to customers.  The company is one of the biggest investors in renewable power generation, principally offshore wind. Its recently completed Lynn and Inner Dowsing development, off the Lincolnshire coast, is the UK's largest offshore wind development. British Gas is committed to energy efficiency.  Our Energy Savers Report provides free expert advice on how you can cut energy use in the home and, in turn, save money.  So far, the report has shown over 2 million people how they could make an average saving of £175 a year.  To complete a report go to .www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-efficiency/energy-savers-report

About Speedo®
The world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo® is passionate about life in and around the water, creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations. Supporting swimming from grass-roots through to elite level, including the phenomenal Michael Phelps, Speedo® is owned by Speedo Holdings B.V and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; SPEEDO, the ARROW device, FASTSKIN, LZR PULSE, SPEEDO ENDURANCE, FLIPTURNS, FASTSKINFSII, SPEEDO BIOFUSE, SWYM and LZR RACER are registered trademarks of Speedo Holdings B.V. The LZR RACER suit has worldwide design rights and patents pending.

Olympic bronze medallist Cassie Patten has been showing off her artistic side in a bid to help the charity Action for Children, which supports and speaks out for the most vulnerable children and young people in the UK.

Patten put pen to paper for the charity’s Journeys artwork exhibition, along with a host of other stars from the world of sport, entertainment, the media and politics.

All of the ‘artists’ have been asked to illustrate the paths they have taken in their lives in a bid to raise awareness of the difficult and complex journeys that thousands of the most vulnerable children and young people make every day.

Patten’s drawing shows her 15 year progress from learner to World Class swimmer. She said:  'I wanted to draw something that shows my journey from splashing around in the paddling pool to standing on the Olympic podium. Hopefully it will show children that if you believe in yourself anything can happen.”

To view Cassie’s drawing CLICK HERE or to view the entire gallery CLICK HERE.

-ENDS-

For more information contact the ASA PR Manager Sharon Rose on 01509 632262, 07876 652318 or email sharon.rose@swimming.org

The ASA is the English National Governing Body for Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Open Water, and Synchronised Swimming. It organises competition throughout England, establishes the Laws of the Sport and operates comprehensive certification and education programmes for Teachers, Coaches and Officials as well as its renowned Learn To Swim Awards scheme. The ASA supports 1,220 affiliated swimming clubs through a National/Regional/County structure. The ASA aims to ensure everybody has an opportunity to learn to swim.

About British Gas
British Gas, the biggest energy supplier in the country, has the lowest carbon intensity of any of the major UK energy suppliers in terms of tonnes of CO2 emitted per megawatt hour of electricity supplied to customers.  The company is one of the biggest investors in renewable power generation, principally offshore wind. Its recently completed Lynn and Inner Dowsing development, off the Lincolnshire coast, is the UK's largest offshore wind development. British Gas is committed to energy efficiency.  Our Energy Savers Report provides free expert advice on how you can cut energy use in the home and, in turn, save money.  So far, the report has shown over 2 million people how they could make an average saving of £175 a year.  To complete a report go to www.britishgas.co.uk/energy-efficiency/energy-savers-report

About Kellogg's
The Kellogg Company was founded in 1906 and today produces 40 different cereals including popular brands such as Special K, Cornflakes and Coco Pops, and 56 different snacks including brands such as Nutri-Grain and Special K snacks. Kellogg's has been a partner of the ASA and British Swimming for 13 years, sponsoring the Kellogg's ASA Awards and enabling over 50,000 people to take up swimming as part of an active lifestyle.

About Speedo®
The world’s leading swimwear brand, Speedo® is passionate about life in and around the water, creating revolutionary new technologies, designs and innovations. Supporting swimming from grass-roots through to elite level, including the phenomenal Michael Phelps, Speedo® is owned by Speedo Holdings B.V and distributed in over 170 countries around the world; SPEEDO, the ARROW device, FASTSKIN, LZR PULSE, SPEEDO ENDURANCE, FLIPTURNS, FASTSKINFSII, SPEEDO BIOFUSE, SWYM and LZR RACER are registered trademarks of Speedo Holdings B.V. The LZR RACER suit has worldwide design rights and patents pending.