Meet the Swimmers

With a host of Paralympic, World and European champions and record holders in their ranks, the British Gas GBR Disability Swimming team is one of the strongest in the world.

• Simmonds
• Walker
• Henry
• Fox
• Frederiksen
• Pepper
• Cashmore
• Hynd

  Name: Eleanor Simmonds

  Events: 50m, 100m, 400m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke, 200m
  Individual Medley

  Honours: Double Paralympic champion, quadruple world champion,
  five-time European champion.

Records: Five world records (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m Freestyle, 200m Individual Medley), one British record (50m Freestyle)

• Competing in the S6 classification, Eleanor Simmonds became a household name in the United Kingdom after scooping double Paralympic gold as a 13-year old at Beijing 2008.
• Still only 16-years old, Simmonds has gone from strength to strength since Beijing, winning seven medals including four golds at last year's IPC World Championships.

Name: Matthew Walker

Events: 50m, 100m Freestyle, 50m Butterfly

Honours: 11-time Paralympic medallist, nine-time World Championship medallist, 10-time European medallist.

Records: European 50m Butterfly record

• At 33-years old, Matthew Walker is one of the senior members of the British squad and has competed at the past three Paralympic Games in the S7 classification.
• Walker has shown few signs of slowing down since winning five medals at Beijing 2008 and comes into Berlin as defending champion in all three of his events.

  Name: Rhiannon Henry

  Events: 50m, 100m Freestyle, 200m Individual Medley

  Honours: Double Paralympic bronze medallist, 10-time World
  Championship medallist, triple European gold medallist

 
Records: Two world records (50m, 200m Butterfly), three European records (200m, 400m, 800m Freestyle), six British records

• Welsh swimmer Rhiannon Henry made her Paralympic debut as a 17-year old at Athens 2004, winning two bronze medals.
• Henry - who competes in the S13 visually impaired classification - won her first World Championship title in Eindhoven last year in the 100m Butterfly.

Name: Jonathan Fox

Events: 50m, 100m, 400m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke

Honours: Paralympic silver medallist, World champion and silver medallist, triple European champion

Records: Two world records (50m, 100m Backstroke), British record (200m Backstroke)

• Jonathan Fox has made the S7 100m Backstroke event his own after clinching silver at Beijing 2008, winning the 2009 European title, the 2010 World title and breaking the world record a number of times.
• While Fox will be favourite for the 100m Backstroke in Berlin, the 20-year old will also be out to defend his 400m Freestyle title.

  Name: Heather Frederiksen

  Events: 50m, 100m, 400m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke

  Honours: Quadruple Paralympic medallist (including 100m
  Backstroke gold), quadruple European champion

 
Records: Four world records (100m, 200m, 400m Freestyle, 100m Backstroke), four British records (50m Freestyle, 50m Backstroke, 100m Butterfly, 200m Individual Medley)

• Heather Frederiksen was one of the stars for the British team at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, winning S8 100m Backstroke gold as well as three other individual medals.
• The 25-year old - who competes in the S8 classification - stormed to four golds at the 2009 European Championships and will defend her three freestyle titles in Berlin.

Name: Daniel Pepper

Events: 200m Freestyle, 100m Breaststroke

Honours: Double World champion, triple European champion

Records: Seven British records (100m, 200m Freestyle, 50m, 100m, 200m Breaststroke, 200m, 400m Individual Medley)

• Daniel Pepper has an unblemished record at major championships since the S14 learning disability category was re-introduced to IPC competitions in 2009.
• The S14 200m Freestyle is expected to be one of the races of the Championships in Berlin as defending champion Pepper goes head-to-head with British teammate and world number one Ben Procter.

  Name: Claire Cashmore

  Events: 100m Freestyle, 100m Breaststroke, 100m Butterfly, 200m
  Individual Medley.

  Honours: Triple Paralympic bronze medallist, quadruple World
  Championship silver medallist, triple European medallist.

Records: Four British records (50m, 100m, 200m Breaststroke, 200m Individual Medley)

• S9 swimmer Claire Cashmore has been on of Great Britain's most consistent performers on the top stage, having won medals at every major championship since the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens.
• The 23-year old heads to Berlin ranked number one in the world for the 100m Breaststroke and 200m Individual Medley as she looks to clinch her first major title.

Name: Sam Hynd

Events: 100m, 400m Freestyle, 100m Breatstroke, 200m Individual Medley

Honours: Double Paralympic medallist (including 400m Freestyle gold), double European champion

Records: Three world records (200, 400m, 800m Freestyle) one European record (200m Individual Medley), four British records (50m, 100m, 200m Breaststroke, 400m Individual Medley)

• Sam Hynd won 400m Freestyle gold on his Paralympic debut as a 17-year old in Beijing.
• The S8 swimmer missed last year's World Championships with a neck injury and will be looking to make an impact on the international stage a year out from London 2012.

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