Synchronised swimmers recognised at ASA Aquatics Awards 2015

The ASA Aquatics Awards 2015 saw the work of six members of the synchronised swimming community celebrated in Leamington Spa on 14 November.

The awards recognised participants across the entire ASA pathway from youngsters learning to swim through to our elite athletes competing on the international stage, and all those whose continued dedication ensures the smooth running of the sport.

England Programmes Synchronised Swimming Athletes of the Year – ASA Aquatics Awards 2015

Bristol Central’s Isabelle Thorpe and Kate Shortman were named England Programmes Synchronised Swimming Athletes of the Year at the ASA Aquatics Awards 2015 on 14 November in Leamington Spa.

Isabelle and Kate have posted consistently high scores throughout the year. In only their second year as a duet for the England Age Group squad, they have made big improvements in their scores and rankings.

At the Croatia Open Age Group competition in June, the pair won the duet event by a large margin. They went on to compete against some of the top nations in synchronised swimming at the Mediterranean Cup in Italy. The pair improved on their preliminary routine score in the final to finish eighth.

After receiving their Award, Kate said: “Isabelle and I have worked really hard to improve our international rankings and it feels very special to receive national recognition for our results over the 2014/15 season.

“At the Mediterranean Cup in Ostia, Italy, we were the youngest competing Duet pair in the final and were really happy to come eighth overall.  This was the first time an English duet has made the final at this competition.”

“Next year is a really exciting year for me and Kate,” Isabelle added. “We have both been selected as part of the Age Group, Junior and Senior Squads. We are looking forward to showing a new routine and competing at both junior international competitions as well as at the Mediterranean Cup. Hopefully we can break into the top six duets.”

Synchronised Swimming Athlete of the Year – ASA Aquatics Awards 2015

Isabelle and Kate’s Bristol teammate, Genevieve Randall was also in the spotlight at the ceremony as she was named Synchronised Swimming Athlete of the Year alongside her duet partner Jodie Cowie (Rushmoor Royals SC).

The duet have been training together since August 2014 and this year they impressed with a 12th place finish at the inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Jodie and Genevieve ended their 2014/15 season with their best performance at a major competition. They finished 24th in the Duet Free Preliminaries at their first World Championships as a duet pair.

Genevieve said: “I feel really honoured to receive this award. It feels like all the hard work myself and Jodie put in is worth it. I love performing so I really appreciate that that has been picked up on.

“Competing at the first European Games was an amazing experience and it was like no other competition I have competed at. Bring part of Team GB made me feel very proud of myself and it gave me a great taste of what the Rio Olympics will be like.

“It’s been an incredible year for myself and Genevieve with some amazing experiences,” Jodie added. “The World Championships was a big stepping stone for us but it also gave us invaluable senior international experience. We competed alongside some incredible athletes that we have both looked up to from a young age and we learnt a lot to take forward in our training for 2016.”

ASA Young Volunteer of the Year – ASA Aquatics Awards 2015

Lucy Rouse was also honoured at the Awards as she was named ASA Young Volunteer of the Year for her work with Birmingham Synchronised Swimming Club.

Over the last year, 18 year-old Lucy has spent over 152 hours volunteering. She helps with synchronised swimming lessons, coaching, and officiating as a national judge. Lucy is one of the youngest national judges in the country.

Lucy is committed to encouraging young children to get involved in aquatics and was part of the National Talent Camp for young coaches this year.

Lucy said: “It feels amazing to win this award, I really didn’t think I would get it. I’m a young coach and I volunteer as a judge, as a coach and I spend all of my time with athletes of all different ages and abilities and they are just great to work with.”

ASA Volunteer of the Year – ASA Aquatics Awards 2015

Sam Travis from City of Leeds Synchronised Swimming Club was runner-up in the ASA Volunteer of the Year category.

Sam is new to the sport and in the last year she has become someone who is committed, developing fast and providing great coaching to the club and skills to the region.

In September 2014, Sam took her basic assessors followed by basic judges course before becoming an Advanced Skill Assessor.