Luke Turley: “To inspire just one person means the world”

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Luke Turley has said that inspiring just one person to learn to swim would mean everything to him.

Turley won bronze in the Men’s 1500m Freestyle for Team England in Birmingham during the 22-year olds first year as a full time swimmer.

Bath National Centre’s Turley has worked hard to get where he is and has even been working two jobs alongside his growing swimming career.

After winning a medal inside the Sandwell Aquatics Centre he says that all his effort has paid off.

“I work in a bar in Bath, then in the evenings I’m also a secretary for a private medical clinic. So it’s been a tough year working at that alongside the swimming but all the hard work that you put in definitely pays off. And it does come back in the end.”

Turley believes that having something else on his mind helps drive him on when he gets into the pool.

“It’s good to have a balance. I’ve always been told if you’ve got two things going it’s perfect. You can switch off, go between the two; it gives you a purpose and a drive. And having too many things on the go just becomes too much. It’s all about finding a balance that works for you.”

By Royal appointment

Turley was in the pool when Swim England patron and Duke of Cambridge Prince William, Duchess of Cambridge Catherine and their daughter Princess Charlotte came to watch the action at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre and revealed it helped spur him on.

“I saw them coming in just as I was standing on the block, getting ready to dive in. It was nice. You just go out and show what you can do.

“I saw an article about the Princess getting excited about everything and to inspire just one person means the world. To make one person happy whilst I’m swimming is brilliant.

“To have the Royal Family at a home Commonwealth Games and to come away with a medal at that level, with the nation watching, it’s incredible.”

Turley also competed in the men’s 400m freestyle in Birmingham, finishing fifth in the final with a new lifetime best time of 3:48.50 in a successful debut Commonwealth Games.

Following his medal winning display in Birmingham Turley said: “It means a lot. It’s been a tough year for me.

“I’ve worked really hard to get here. So for me to go out, race the race and come out with a medal is an absolute dream.

“This is my first year swimming full time, my first year at a senior stage, so to come out of my first competition with a medal brings me so much confidence to keep going, keep pushing, all the way to Paris [2024 Olympic Games], because that’s the ultimate dream.”