Parkinson to make senior debut on Gold Coast

Jarvis Parkinson is hoping to make a name for himself at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The Doncaster-born swimmer, who won 200m IM gold at last year’s British Summer Championships, says the trip to the Gold Coast is the ideal opportunity to get his senior international career off to the perfect start.

• DOB: 20/08/1998
• Club: Loughborough University
• Coach: Mel Marshall
• CWG: Making debut on Gold Coast

He said: “It’s nice to get my senior career on a roll with a major games.

“I want to get my name out there. It is my first senior competition but I do feel like I could go and really scare some people.

“I fully believe myself that I could potentially go and win something. It is quite a big thing to throw out there but if other people can do it, why can’t I. I just want to get there, put my name on the map and have this as the starting point in my senior career.

The excitement is rising

“I’m very excited. It has got closer and closer and I am training harder than ever before. It has gone from a bit of a dream four years ago when I was watching it on TV at Glasgow and now I am actually at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. It’s crazy how fast it has come round but I’m ready and I’m excited.”

Parkinson is hoping the success of some of his friends and team-mates at Glasgow will inspire him to success on Australia’s Gold Coast.

“The year after the 2014 Commonwealth Games, I had the European Juniors and it gave me a real positive thing to work on in training,” he said. “It gave me real inspiration seeing some of my close friends win events at the Commonwealth Games and medal and I used that as energy to train and prepare for the next few years.

“I kept thinking it’s getting closer and closer and I want what happened to them in 2014 to happen to me in 2018. I’ve used 2014 as motivation for 2018.”

Living with an Olympic champion

The Loughborough NC swimmer shares a house with Adam Peaty and says the Olympic champion has given him some insights on nutrition and lifestyle.

“I live with Adam so it is nice to have a friend who is also like a role model as well,” said Parkinson. “Seeing what he is doing to get to the best in the world and seeing what I am doing and thinking he is where I want to be and what can I do, what can I replicate to get to where he is?

“It really is an inspiration. It’s nice to look at that and whilst when I’m at the pool with the rest of the squad we all work together and we all bounce off each other and it’s really good motivation.

“Since I moved here, I thought I ate well but then I moved in with Adam, I looked at what I ate and looked at what he ate and thought there’s loads I can improve on. It has opened my eyes.

“I thought I was clean but I am always being told off for leaving a knife out when I was about to put it away so I admit I’m the messy one out of us.

“It is always a busy household, it’s always very loud and music playing. It’s a good place to be.”